You Must Remember Me
by LadyoftheLake
Summary: Written before DH. It's been four years since the end of the war. Ron and Hermione are now together and embarking in a new chapter in their relationship when something unexpected happens that may keep them apart. Warning, minor violence
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello all, for those of you who have read my previous story, you are acquainted with my style of writing and my penchant to leave things in cliffhangers that some of you may not enjoy. : ) lol. And to those of you who have not read my previous story welcome! Don't worry, you don't have to read it for you to understand this one. This is a Ron and Hermione story, with some other couples here and there, but is mostly a RW/HG plot. I began this story in some months ago, before HBP came out but as I like to keep my stories factual I had decided from the beginning that I would not uploaded to this site until HBP was read and facts incorporated into the completed chapters. Now, I have been able to edit my chapters taking HBP facts and making the changes necessary to upload the first chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. I have not read any plot like it, so as far as I'm concerned, it is an original plot. If there are any like it out there, I would like to know.

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_**Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.**_

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_**Chapter 1 Taken**_

Dawn had arrived, the dim light of the rising sun was creeping through the closed curtains before the windows.

Her eyes remained closed, but Hermione was aware of the warm body stirring at her side. She heard him grunt as he left the bed and knew that he crept silently around the room, trying not to wake her, as he gathered his clothing on his way to the bathroom.

The muffled sound of the water flowing in the shower reached her ears. She blinked sleepily at the alarm clock on the night table on her side of the bed. It was barely 5:23, but as it was her day off, she need not get ready for work. Ron, on the other hand, had to report t Auror Headquarters at 7:00 that morning.

Ron. She smiled at the thought of her fiancé. It had been more than eleven years ago since she first caught sight of Ronald Weasley on their first trip on the Hogwarts Express. He had been trying to show the famous Harry Potter a spell his brother had taught him and she had stumbled into their compartment as she helped Neville Longbottom search for his missing frog. They didn't make a good impression on each other that first time, but things changed soon enough.

For seven years, Ron, Harry and Hermione had been inseparable, helping each other in every way and getting in trouble in the process. But their adventures only brought them closer together and become the best of friends, even among the horrors of the final battle of the last war.

It was during that battle, as Hermione and Ron where trying to survive to help Harry fight Voldemort that both accepted the feelings they had for each other. The thought of losing their lives made it easier to admit the simmering emotions they had tried to deny for years, and it was the acknowledgement of their love for each other that drove them to victory against all odds and defeat the Death Eaters surrounding them.

Harry defeated Voldemort after a long and draining battle, at the cost of great loss of life. Many spent time at St. Mungo's recuperating their tired bodies. It was during this time when Ron and Hermione determined to allow their blossoming feelings to grow.

It was almost four years since that final battle. Ron and Harry went into Auror training while Hermione had accepted an offer for a position in the Ministry.

Five months ago, Ron and Harry had completed their training and had been accepted as fully trained Aurors. And after months of saving his wages, Ron had proposed to Hermione the night before.

Hermione smiled at the memory of what had transpired the previous night. She glanced at the glittering diamond ring in her finger and closed her eyes and grinned with satisfaction at the sensations the images evoked.

She snuggled against the comfortable pillows. She had planned to meet with Ginny in Diagon Alley later that day and couldn't wait to share her news.

Sleep had taken over once more as the door of the bathroom opened and Ron stepped out fully clothed. He looked at the messed bed and sighed with regret. He wished he could stay at home and celebrate his engagement with his new bride-to-be. But duty called and Harry was sure to be waiting to know what had happened.

He grabbed his wand from the dresser and pulled his cloak from the peg behind the door. He returned to the bed and glanced longingly down at his sleeping fiancé. "Have a nice day." He whispered and kissed her cheek. She stirred and mumbled softly in her sleep. "I'll see you later, love." He said and walked quietly out of the room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron apparated at the Ministry with fifteen minutes to spare. He stepped into one of the lifts and reached the second level a few moments later after several stops.

He walked off the lift and made his way to the Auror Headquarters Office. He glanced quickly at a closed door before turning into the office. He greeted cheerfully those he met as he walked to the cubicle he shared with his partner, Harry Potter.

Harry was waiting for him.

"Well?" Harry asked curiously. "Did you ask her?"

"Will you let me take off my cloak first?" Said Ron teasingly.

Harry waited impatiently while Ron shrugged off his cloak and hanged it slowly on the robes hanger a few feet from the cubicle.

"All you have to do is tell me if she said yes or no." Harry said testily.

"Yes." Ron said with a grin.

"Yes, you asked her, or she said Yes." Glared Harry.

"Yes I asked her, and she did say yes." Grinned Ron happily.

Harry cheered and clapped Ron on the back. "Congratulations. You two are perfect for each other." Said Harry as they sat on their respective chairs. "When should I start planning your stag party?"

Ron laughed. "We haven't discussed dates yet." He said blushing slightly. "We – er - kinda got distracted after I proposed."

Harry laughed gleefully as Ron flushed with embarrassment.

"Have you told your parents yet?" He asked after a while.

"No. Dad wasn't in his office when I came in. I want to tell him before I owl Mum." Ron said.

Harry glanced at the clock hanging on the wall a few feet away.

"He should be there by now." He said.

"I'll go check. Tell Shacklebolt I'll be back in a minute." Called Ron as he hurried to his father's office.

The door to the Improper Use of Magic Office was open. Inside was a large desk in front of a long window. Behind the desk was sitting Mr. Arthur Weasley.

Two years previously, Mr. Weasley had been promoted to his current position leaving behind the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office to his son, Percy, who had requested the change a few years ago after reconciling with his family and wanting to work closely with his father after the many years of separation.

Mr. Weasley new position moved him to a larger office. The long window showing a sunny view and the large desk were placed at one end of the room. A large fireplace adorned one of the walls with comfortable, plush sofas before it. A conference table and long counters lined the remaining walls, where, Ron knew, Mr. Weasley met with the people under his charge.

Ron knocked on the door for his father's attention.

"Oh, hello Ronald, didn't notice you there." Said Mr. Weasley brightly.

"Morning dad. Your door was closed when I arrived earlier." Ron stepped languidly into the room.

Mr. Weasley smiled proudly at his tall son. "I just arrived. Molly has been worrying a lot lately. What, with the latest supposed attack on Mad-Eye she's uneasy." Mr. Weasley explained.

Ron nodded with understanding. After Voldemort's defeat at the hands of Harry almost four years ago, many of his followers were left without direction, and those who escaped imprisonment continued with their former leader's work. But on the last couple of months their attacks (which until now had been few and sporadic with no sense of purpose) began to be directed toward the remaining members of the Order, whom the Death Eaters deemed responsible for the eventual victory over Voldemort and his forces.

Fortunately, after Moody's retirement he had been wise to buy a cottage in the hills near Hogsmeade, on which he erected wards and enchantments for protection and hired a few talented wizards and witches to help him if necessary. Even though age had not diminished his spirit and power, he knew that his body was not up to the physical confrontations that it once had seen.

"Nothing came of it, of course." Said Ron. "Mad-Eye is too wily to allow them to sneak up on him."

Mr. Weasley chuckled pleasantly. "Those Death Eaters didn't know what hit them. They were mumbling incoherently and blinking blindly when the Aurors took them into custody."

Ron laughed animatedly. After four years, the remaining Death Eaters were divided. Many had tried to gain the leadership of the former feared group but had failed miserably, and petty squabbles and jealousies kept the former organization from becoming as dreaded as it had once been.

Ron shook his head bemused. One would think that after four failed attacks, the Death Eaters would've given up, but it only seemed to make them try another tactic. "If they try again, Mad-Eye will be ready for them."

"Of course he will, doesn't keep your mother from distressing about him, but there's noting she can do. Minerva keeps asking him to make his home at Hogwarts, Molly keeps advising him to do so and Alastor keeps ignoring them." Mr. Weasley replied.

"Perhaps my news will cheer her up." Said Ron, deciding that it was time for his to tell his father his tidings.

"Oh?" Mr. Weasley looked up curiously at his youngest son.

"I proposed to Hermione last night and she accepted." Ron grinned proudly.

"What great news!" Exclaimed Mr. Weasley walking around the desk toward Ron and hugging him happily. "Your mother will be pleased."

"I'll owl her in a moment, just wanted to tell you first." Smiled Ron.

"Of course, of course. Bring Hermione round to dinner tonight. I know Molly will want to see her." Invited Mr. Weasley contently. "She wasn't too happy when you two moved in together last year."

"I know, but she came around." Said Ron. "I'll owl Hermione about dinner."

"Do that. Don't forget your mother. She'll never forgive us if we forget to tell her." Warned Mr. Weasley teasingly.

Ron laughed. "Don't I know it? I won't forget." He said goodbye and walked back to his cubicle.

"It seems that congratulations are in order." Said their superior, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who waited for him with Harry.

"Thank you, Sir. Just went to tell my father the news." Explained Ron.

"No need for explanations." Shacklebolt waved a hand without concern or anger. "Not much to do today. The Death Eaters seemed to have gone underground after yesterday's attempted attack on Moody's cottage."

Harry snorted disdainfully. "Should've learned by now."

"Never said they were smart." Laughed Shacklebolt. "At any rate," he continued, "they seem to be becoming bolder with each attack. We've received intelligence that they might try something soon. I want you two to keep your eyes and ears open. Reports have come in about a possible meeting at a dingy Muggle pub in London. Here's the address. I need you to go undercover and see what you can learn."

Harry and Ron nodded, happy to have something to do instead of staying at their desk with paperwork. They discarded their Ministry robes for Muggle clothing and Ron sent a couple of owls with notes attached, one for his mother and another for Hermione. Moments later, both were seen stepping off the lift into the Atrium and walking unhurriedly out the Main doors.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The alarm clock went off. Hermione's hand snaked out from under the covers and hit the snooze button. Her head slowly emerged from underneath the pillows as she looked blearily around the room.

She knew Ron had left earlier, as bright sunlight streamed through the open curtains around the window. She looked at the alarm clock. It was 9:10 and she had agreed to meet Ginny for lunch at noon.

She slowly got out of bed. She stretched yawning as she let the sheets fall from her body. Hermione grasped her robe and tied it on as she walked to the dresser.

She looked at herself on the mirror. "Oh, I look awful."

With a flick of her wand, the bed started to tidy up itself. She walked to the bathroom ready to prepare for the day.

Hermione found breakfast waiting for her at the table. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and muffins had been set before her customary chair. Also, a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Ron had placed a heating charm around the plate and cup to keep warm. A small vase stood in the middle of the table with a single red rose. FOR MY BRIDE TO BE was scribbled in a white card leaning against the vase.

Hermione was pleased by the effort Ron had taken in making breakfast. He was not the most helpful person to have around the house when chores needed to be done, but he was thoughtful and did the most sweetest things he could think of when he was in the mood, which, Hermione was happy to note, happened often.

She ate her meal silently while reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. The pages were full of details of the latest attempted attack on Mad-Eye.

Hermione grunted contemptuously. "Picking on an old man like that. They don't try it against Harry because they're afraid of him. Bet Moody seems like an easy target compared to him. Well, he certainly showed them."

She finished her meal and cleaned the dishes, she still had more than an hour until she had to leave for her meeting with Ginny.

She looked critically around her. The apartment looked clean and in order, but she knew better. With a flick of her wand she opened the cupboard and a vacuum slid out toward the living room carpet. Another flick and the feather duster began to dance around, dusting every surface in the room.

Hermione walked happily to the bedroom, she thanked Molly for teaching her the necessary cleaning spells to keep house. It made things easier than the way her own mother had taught her in the old-fashioned, Muggle way.

She grabbed her purse from the closet and her jacket from the hanger behind the door. There was still time for her to do some shopping before she met with Ginny. She flicked her wand as she walked through the living room on her way to the door.

The feather duster returned to a peg in the cupboard's door and the vacuum slid back into the cupboard just as the door closed behind her.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Two young men sat raucously at the bar in an out of the way pub in London. Seemed like they were in good spirits as they celebrated some good news. The old bartender chuckled at their antics as he served his usual customers; only a pair of funny dressed gentlemen seemed not to be paying any attention.

"You would think they would dress less conspicuously if they chose to meet at a Muggle pub." The red-headed young man whispered to his black-haired companion.

Harry nodded with derision. "They're Death Eaters, purebloods who make no effort in learning about Muggles. What do they know about proper Muggle fashion, everything Muggle is anathema to them?"

Ron agreed and called for another beer.

"Will you take it easy? I don't want to leave carrying you over my shoulder." Argued Harry as the bartender placed another beer bottle in front of Ron. "Besides, we're here to work, not get intoxicated." He whispered as the bartender turned to serve a couple of new customers.

"Relax, I took an anti-intoxication potion." Whispered Ron.

"Good, because I'm not looking forward to listening into their conversation on my own." Harry said.

They watched as another couple of young men joined the funnily dressed pair at their table. Without any notice from the other patrons, a pair of flesh colored strings snaked down to the corner table where the foursome held their meeting.

"Well?" They heard one of them say.

"We'll soon have what we need." Another replied. "Draco will make sure of it."

"Do you think it'll work?" The first man asked again.

"It has to!" A third exclaimed loud enough to call the attention of the other customers.

"Will you keep your voice down." One of them whispered harshly as they looked at each other nervously and drank from their mugs in silence until they were sure nobody was paying any more attention to them.

"When do we know it's safe to start making plans against Potter?" Somebody finally asked.

"Tonight." Was the response.

There was silence around the table and one by one they began to leave the table.

The two flesh-colored strings rolled quickly out of sight.

"Who would've thought Extendable Ears would become an standard issued tool for every Auror in the field." Laughed Ron as he pushed his into the pocket of his coat.

"Since Shacklebolt saw the potential in them." Harry replied with a tight smile. "We should go."

Ron nodded and extracted some pound notes and placed them on the counter. "Thanks, Max." He called to the bartender.

"Anytime." Max called back. "You never told me what you were celebrating."

"My engagement of course." Laughed Ron and the pair left the pub as calls of congratulations from the other customers followed them out.

The pair walked languidly for a couple of blocks, stopping now and then to look into the shop windows as if they didn't have to be anywhere else, looking over their shoulders now and then to make sure they were not followed. They didn't say anything about what they had heard.

When they deemed it safe, they hurried into an alley and disapparated with a loud crack.

A minute later they found themselves in the middle of the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

They walked gracefully to the lift, ignoring the glances and whispering that usually followed Harry's wake.

They stepped off the lift on the second level and walked promptly to their desk, where they sat and began scribbling their report.

"It seems like they're turning their attention back to you." Ron said glancing worriedly at his friend sitting across from him.

Harry said nothing.

"What do you think they're planning?" Asked Ron as he turned his attention back to the paragraph he had just written.

"I don't know, but if Draco is involved it'll be trouble." Harry said uneasily. "Wished we knew what will happen tonight."

"We can always recommend for patrols to keep an eye on Malfoy Manor tonight." Said Ron voicing what was on his mind. "We can be sure that Draco will want to direct whatever is happening tonight."

Harry sighed tiredly. "I'm glad I don't have the second shift tonight, I don't fancy dealing with Malfoy at this moment."

"Neither do I. Besides, dad said to take Hermione over to the Burrow for dinner." Ron said.

Harry smiled. "Molly will be thrilled."

"I'm sure she'll be. Why don't you come along?" Invited Ron.

"But this is a family affair." Proclaimed Harry. "I'm sure I would only be in the way."

"Not at all, we want you there." Exclaimed Ron. "You're family, you know we've thought of you as such for years. And it wouldn't be the same without you. Mum is sure to call everybody else to be there."

"Well, if you're sure." Harry said slowly.

"I am. Hermione will be happy to see you, she was complaining yesterday that she doesn't see you as often as she would like to." Ron said, glancing at this partner from under his lashes.

"I know. I don't see her around when we're on duty and I spend most of my days off with Remus." Harry said keeping his eyes on the parchment he was writing on.

Ron looked up. "How is he doing?" He asked.

"Better, now that the full moon has passed." Harry reported. "But his body is taking longer to recover than it used to."

"It has been like that for the last four years now, Harry. It could've been worse." Ron said kindly.

"I know." Harry sighed sadly.

Remus Lupin had been an important member of the Order during the war, but had been injured severely in the final battle by a barrage of dark spells.

For many months, Remus had been in a coma at St. Mungo's while his friends stayed at his side hoping for the best. Time and the care given by the healers repaired most of the physical damage, and the mental strain was dealt with in time when he was ready. But there was one thing they couldn't do for him.

His back and nerves had been injured during the battle and even though the bones had been replaced and the muscle damaged repaired, the injures to the nerves in his spine had been difficult to mend, as a result, Remus would spend the rest of his life in a chair.

Remus was the last surviving friend of James Potter and for that reason, among others, Harry felt a sort of filial duty to his father's friend. As soon as he finished school, Harry bought a cottage in the middle of a clearing in a forest far from any large cities or towns. He hired a gently woman who cooked and cleaned for Remus and made sure he took his prescribed potions. For protection and heavy work, he hired a couple of talented wizards who made sure no strangers got near the cottage and that Remus was locked in a safe room during the full moon.

Harry visited often and sometimes took friends to keep Remus company.

"Mother will be happy to see you also." Ron's voce broke through Harry's thoughts. Harry smiled as he put his thoughts aside for another time.

"It'll be good to have you around. Fred and George won't gang up on me if you're there." Ron mumbled.

"I feel so appreciated." Laughed Harry.

"You know what I mean. They're bound to start teasing me the moment they arrive." Ron groaned with exasperation.

"I'm sure your mother will have something to say to them if they do." Replied Harry.

"Of course she will, and they'll take it out on me." Ron complained.

"It won't be so bad." Harry chuckled knowing that he was likely to be proven wrong.

"Well, at least Jeanette and Luc will keep them entertained." Ron sighed in resignation.

"You mean Fred and George will try to corrupt them." Snickered Harry.

"They're already corrupted." Said Ron, thinking of his twin niece and nephew. "Fleur tries to civilize them, but with a flock of Weasleys ready to spoil them, she's not having any success."

"Well, soon Bill won't be the only married Weasley, other than your parents that is. Your children will have enough uncles ready to corrupt them." Laughed Harry.

"Oh, don't even say it!" Exclaimed Ron.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Hermioen will make sure they behave themselves." Harry said in a consolatory tone.

"Thank Merlin for Hermione." Sighed Ron.

Harry chuckled with amusement.

"What about you?" Ron asked suddenly.

"What about me?" Harry asked somewhat bewildered.

"When are you going to bring a girl over?" Ron said.

"Don't become a matchmaker on me!" Groaned Harry. "I have no time for a relationship at the moment."

"I'm sure there are a lot of girls who wouldn't mind." Ron snickered.

"And that's the problem. How am I supposed to find the right girl with all the others appearing all over." Harry frowned. "Whoever gave the address of my flat to the Witch Weekly has a lot to pay for. I still haven't been able to sell it and I had to put wards around my new one."

Ron was dazed as he shook his head in commiseration.

Ever since Voldemort's defeat at the hands of Harry, the former Gryffindor's popularity had turned into adoration. During the weeks Harry had spent recuperation at St. Mungo's, the magical hospital had been inundated by gifts from all over the country. People camped in the waiting room hoping to catch a glimpse of their savior. Security had to be increased and special passes created for those allowed to visit him. Not that he had taken any notice of what was happening around him as he had been in and out of consciousness for days, and under therapy on the weeks after.

As time passed, his popularity refused to wane. Fan mail had been received at the Ministry in great numbers from the moment he started his Auror training that a special office had been created to deal with it. Whispers and glances followed him wherever he went that Harry had opted to shop and eat in Muggle establishments and refused to visit Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade unless he absolutely had to.

The relationship he had once enjoyed with the youngest Weasley had been severed during the last year of the war and had become a thing of the past. Ron knew it was hard for Harry to become close to people and as a result his relationships with women had been many and short. Harry didn't seem to mind but Ron was sure that there were times when his friend was sure to feel lonely.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione walked happily down the sidewalk, stopping now and then to look at the merchandise displayed on the windows. She had elected to walk around the muggle shops near Diagon Alley before joining Ginny at the Leaky Cauldron.

People scrambled to and fro around her, but she paid no attention to them. She was busily making mental lists of the things she'd like to get for her wedding.

She checked her watch. Half an hour until she had to meet Ginny. Hermione sighed resignedly. She would just have to return and look around on her way back home.

She had to cross a less crowded street before turning toward the Leaky Cauldron. As she passed an alley nearby she heard sounds of a struggle.

Hermione looked around. There was nobody in sight. She grasped her wand tightly hidden in her coat pocket and pressed against the wall and looked into the alley.

There was a man on the floor struggling against ropes while two men held wands in their hands and laughed at their prey.

"We'll teach you some manners, Muggle." Hermione glared as her sense of righteousness took hold of her body. Two against one, she thought, those were good odds.

"Leave him alone." She yelled stepping into the alley.

"Says who?" Sneered one f the men turning to look at her.

"Says I." She snapped pulling her wand from her pocket.

"Well done, Miss Granger." A cold voice said behind the two large men in front of her.

"What?" Exclaimed Hermione in surprise.

The ropes around the downed man were gone and in his place stood a leering Draco Malfoy looking mockingly at her.

A trap, her brain screamed, but she had lost time looking amazed at Malfoy. She prepared to apparate, but it was too late, and anti-apparition charm had been placed in the alley and somebody had come from behind her grasping her arms.

"Let me go! What do you think you're doing?" She yelled as she struggled to get away and use her wand.

"You're the perfect bait." Malfoy sneered maliciously. "What better way to punish Potter than by using one of his best friends."

"I won't let you." Screamed Hermione and started sending spells around her.

"Don't let her go!" She heard Malfoy yell. Two pairs of arms came around her. She struggled and felt a light tug in her stomach. It was a familiar feeling. A portkey? She thought. She saw an orange light heading toward her as the portkey activated. A blinding headache made her lose consciousness of time and place.

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A/N: There you go. I have fifteen chapters completed and I'll post the next one as soon as I have it ready, if you just can't wait to find out what happens, all the chapters are posted at but keep in mind that I'm making some changes to make this story compatible with HBP facts. The first fifteen chapters were written before it came out. I'm sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes you may have found along the chapter, I don't have a beta for this story and I tend to forget about grammar and spelling when I write. If anybody out there is interested, let me know. Please don't forget to review, I like to hear from my readers. No flames, please, I won't read them if I get them.

_**Alexa aka Lady of the Lake**_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here you are, the next chapter of my new saga: ) I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I know I left it in such an abrupt way, but if you have ever read anything I have ever written, you'll know that I tend to do that a lot. So you have been warned, there will be a few cliffies now and then.

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_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain_.

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_**Chapter 2 Missing**_

Ginny arrived fifteen minutes early for her lunch with Hermione.

Diagon Alley was busy as parents hauled their children behind them in search for the needed school materials for the upcoming term.

She walked down the cobbled lane to her brothers' shop, she might as well drop by to say a quick hello.

The bells on the door jingled as she opened the door. The teen filled shop was bustling as the shop attendants took care of customers and the cash registers rang under the cashiers' fingers.

Ginny made her way through the crowded room to the back office, where she knew her brothers usually managed the store from. She found her twin brothers playing with a pair of small clubs.

"Do I want to know what you're doing?" She said as she stepped into the messy office.

"Just bought these for Luc and Jeanette. What do you think?" Asked Fred holding the child-sized beater club in his hand.

"I think you two need your own children to spoil." Declared Ginny.

"Awww, now why would you go and say a thing like that?" Exclaimed George in mid-swing. "You know Mum won't like it if we give her grandchildren without the blessing of marriage."

"Then do so." Ginny smiled wickedly at her two older brothers.

"We don't want leg-shackles!" Proclaimed Fred in horror. "We're too young to be tied down." He continued as he threw another swing at his twin.

Ginny shook her head with amusement at her brothers' antics. "I don't know how Angelina and Katie can continue living with you two."

"We're entertaining." Grinned George.

"Never mind, I don't want to know what that grin of yours means." Ginny cried out.

George snickered.

"To what do we owe this unexpected visit? Is it because of Mum's news?" Asked Fred, putting away the small clubs into their original boxes.

"Mum's news?" Ginny asked curiously, she had heard nothing about any news.

George shrugged. "Hoped you'd spill the beans. Mum sent an owl a few minutes ago requesting our presence for dinner tonight."

"Requesting? More like ordered, you mean." By Fred's tone of voice, Ginny gathered that he was not too happy about being asked to the Burrow by their mother.

"Haven't received any owl." She said. "Probably missed it."

"No matter, now you know." George said. "What are you up to? I thought you had training at St. Mungo's today."

"I'm done for the day. I'm meeting Hermione for lunch. In fact, I must go or she'll think I forgot. See you tonight." Ginny called as she walked into the crowded salesroom and hurried down the lane to the Leaky Cauldron.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ginny waited for forty-five minutes and Hermioen hadn't made an appearance. When the clock stroke the hour, she decided to go to Ron and Hermione's flat and see if Hermione had forgotten.

The corridor was empty when Ginny apparated before flat #10 of Piccadilly Place. She knocked on the locked door. There was no response to her knock.

Ginny frowned worriedly, it wasn't like Hermione to forget a meeting and she wouldn't arrive more than an hour late without owling with an excuse.

Perhaps she was held up, Ginny thought and decided to go to the Ministry in search of her friend.

Minutes later, she stood in the middle of the Atrium. She walked to the information desk, newly placed, at one end of the hall.

"Excuse me?" She said to the young witch behind the counter.

"Yes, Miss." The receptionist said smiling. "How can I help you?"

"Can you tell me if Hermione Granger is at her desk?" Ginny inquired.

The young witch touched her wand to a blank roll of parchment before her. Immediately, a list of names, numbers and room locations appeared on it.

"I'm sorry, Miss." The receptionist said after looking at the parchment for a few minutes. "Miss Granger is not in the premises."

Ginny frowned with worry before glancing back at the young woman once more. "What about Ronald Weasley?"

The girl looked down at her parchment again. "Auror Weasley is in Auror Headquarters, Miss." The girl replied.

"Thank you." Ginny said and hurried to one of the lifts lining both sides of the Atrium.

She arrived to the Auror Offices a few minutes later, feeling both a little flustered and concerned.

She spied Ron instantly, as she recognized his red head among the sea of many dark and blond heads sitting about the cubicles. She made her way quickly to her brother.

Harry noticed Ginny's supple form walking rapidly toward them.

"Hey Ginny! What are you doing here?" He called coming to his feet to greet his best friend and partner's younger sister.

"Ginny? Where's Hermione? I thought you were supposed to have lunch together. Isn't she with you?" Asked Ron rising from his seat also.

"Well, no. That's why I came, you see. She never showed up to meet me." Ginny exclaimed with apprehension.

"That's strange, it doesn't sound like Hermione." Said Harry.

"Did you go to the flat?" Asked Ron beginning to be concerned.

"I just came from there." She replied.

"She might have been delayed." Offered Harry, not really believing it himself.

"She would've owled." Said Ginny.

"So she would." Ron frowned thoughtfully. "Ginny, go to the Leaky Cauldron." He ordered. "Tell Tom to look out for her if she shows up, then go to the shops she likes to frequent in Diagon Alley. Ask Fred and George to help you if you want."

Ginny nodded and hurried out to do as her brother had ordered without taking umbrage about his bossiness as she would have done in normal circumstances.

"Harry." Ron turned to his friend. "I'm going to see Shaklebolt. I won't be easy unless I'm out there looking for her."

"I'll go with you." Announced Harry.

Ron nodded, he knew better than to deny his friend. Besides, he thought, it might be better to have some help, especially Harry's since he planned to look around Muggle London.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron and Harry started their search from the flat in Piccadilly Place, after making a call to the Grangers to make sure Hermione hadn't decided to make a visit on her parents. She was not there. From the flat, Harry and Ron traced her footsteps toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"I see no reason why she decided to walk." Ron was saying as he pointed his wand surreptitiously to the sidewalk every few steps.

"Probably wanted to look into the Muggle shops." Harry replied making sure Muggles were out of sight as they watched the spell conjure a dim pair of footprints before them.

"I've told her it's safer to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron." Said Ron between clenched teeth, wishing he could run down the street following the conjured trail of Hermione's steps. But, the charm took a while to conjure the required footprints and they had to be careful not to call the attention of the Muggle pedestrians.

After an hour following Hermione's steps, they saw something that led them to believe Hermione had seen something unexpected.

"I don't get it." Said Ron kneeling as he studied the foggy footprints on the sidewalk. "She's only a block away from the Laky Cauldron, why did she retraced her steps? Why didn't she continue on?"

Harry was a few feet away, at the mouth of a deserted alley. "She saw something. See here?" He called Ron, pointing to a pair of prints conjured by the wall. "She stood here for a while."

"She wasn't looking into the shop window." Said Ron looking from the vanishing image to the shop window a few inches above them.

"Corpus Immaginus!" Harry said rotation his wand a couple of feet above the footprints.

A shiny, foggy cloud appeared before them. Slowly, it started to swirl around and eventually took a human form.

Hermione's image floated before them. Her face was turned from the window and looking into the ally, her right hand was hidden into her coat pocket. They knew she was clasping her wand inside.

Harry waved his hand through the misty image and it promptly dissipated.

Harry and Ron shared a concerned look and in mutual accord walked into the alley.

There was nothing there to give them a clue. Trash and boxes were strewn against the concrete walls and around the floor. Trash bins had been knocked down and lay awkwardly against walls.

"Corpus Immaginus!" Harry entoned once more, moving his arms in larger circles this time.

Several clouds appeared before them.

Ron cursed.

The clouds started to take shape and the scene of a struggle took form before their eyes.

"Death Eaters." Spat Harry in anger.

Ron was breathing hard. The thought of Hermione in the hands of Death Eaters was sickening to him. He was afraid for her, but at the same time, he was furious. "It was a trap. She must have seen something that lured her in here and then they came upon her."

"She never had a chance." Replied Harry coldly. "I count twelve, maybe fifteen Death Eaters, if not more."

"Three or four she could've handled, but not this many." Ron was standing before the image of Hermione struggling in the arms of two Death Eaters. An object was clasped tightly in the hand of one of the Death Eaters. "They had a portkey. They were prepared."

"There's something else. Look!" Harry pointed to the image of a man standing a little apart from those around Hermione. He was standing proudly with his arms crossed against his chest as if enjoying the sight before him.

"Malfoy!" Exclaimed Ron. His vision clouded with rage. A minute later he was struggling against the constraining pair of arms, as Harry tried to keep him from attacking the image of the leering man a few feet away.

"Stop it, Ron!" Yelled Harry. "You'll do no good if you don't get yourself under control. That image there is not even real."

Ron tried to contain his raging emotions. "You're right." His body was taut and his breathing ragged. "But if he has hurt her - "

"He'll pay." Finished Harry. "C'mon, we have to see Kingsley." Harry started to make the images disappear.

Something made Ron stop in his tracks.

During his fit of rage, he had disturbed some of the litter lying on the concrete floor. A slim stick of wood had been dislodged from underneath an empty pizza box and a dirty bag from a nearby fast food restaurant.

Ron gasped and dove for it.

"What is it?" Asked Harry behind him.

"A wand. Hermione's wand." Ron said. He had seen that wand lying next to his every morning for the last year.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Molly Weasley was excitedly preparing dinner for her large family. It was to be the first time the Weasley Clan would be all together since Bill's wedding five years before. And now, they were about to celebrate the engagement of her youngest son.

She hummed happily to herself as she started to think about the things that would be needed for the wedding. On second thoughts, perhaps she should wait until she spoke to Hermione, she thought, as this wedding was certain to be different from Bill's, which had been – for lack of a better word – Magical.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at the memory of her firstborn's wedding. She was so proud that it had been a truly old-fashioned, wizard ceremony. With the Ministry official presiding before the ceremony and the conjuring of the magical chains bonding the young couple for life. The feast following the ceremony had been lavish. The gardens had been adorned with fairies, a large champagne-flowing fountain stood by the table where the food catered by Chef Anhoui's Restaurant, in Diagon Alley, had been placed, and the guests were entertained by the music of a recent band from Hogsmeade.

Ron's on the other hand was sure to be a far cry from the ones she was used to attending. Hermione was Muggle-born, which could only mean that her family would expect a proper Muggle ceremony. A thing the Weasleys would agree to, as they couldn't do any sort of magic in front of Muggles.

She would have to make sure Fred and George behaved themselves, she thought, she didn't want the Grangers to think badly of them and she wouldn't want to receive owls from the Ministry on that particular occasion.

The sound of a sharp crack of someone apparating behind her startled her.

"Hello Mum!" Charlie said putting his arms around her and kissing her cheek.

"You startled me!" She chided but patted his cheek affectionately.

"Sorry." Apologized Charlie. "So, what is this big news you called us here to tell us about?" He said grabbing a few pieces of roasted chicken cooling on the counter.

"Stop that!" Mrs. Weasley slapped his hands away from the food. "As for the news, you'll have to wait for everybody else to be here."

Charlie grunted with impatience but said no more. "Who else is coming?" He asked, taking a seat round the table.

"Everybody." Said Mrs. Weasley. "Bill, Fleur and the twins. Percy, Fred and George, Ginny, Ronald, Hermione and Harry. Ron just owled saying that he convinced Harry to come." Listed Mrs. Weasley pleasantly. "You must help your father to conjure tables outside. We'll never fit in here."

The sound of another sharp crack was heard from the drawing room. "I'm home." Mr. Weasley's voice called.

"We're in the kitchen, dear." Called Mrs. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley strode into the kitchen with a huge grin. "Everything ready?" He asked kissing his wife's cheek tenderly.

"Almost. We're just waiting for everybody else to arrive." Responded Mrs. Weasley.

"Ron and Harry will most likely take a while. They weren't at the their desk when I left the office and I heard talk of a raid from the other Aurors." Reported Mr. Weasley.

"Oh, that's such a shame. I hope Kingsley won't make them stay late." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"I'm sure he won't. He has enough people to take care of anything that comes up tonight." Replied Charlie biting into a crunchy apple. "Maybe they went to get Hermione."

"Are the rest coming?" Asked Mr. Weasley curiously.

"They said they would." Responded Mrs. Weasley. "Can you get things ready outside? They'll be coming soon."

"Of course, dear. Come Charlie, I need your help." Ordered Mr. Weasley leading his second born out of the kitchen while Mrs. Weasley continued putting the finishing touches on her meal.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron and Harry hurried down the corridors to Kinsley Shacklebolt's office. The door was open and a light shone from with in.

"Kingsley, you have to send people to Malfoy Manor." Exclaimed Ron running into the open office.

The Auror Chief Lieutenant was sitting behind a large desk. Lit torches shone from all corners of the office.

"What? Why? What happened?" He asked in confusion at the sight of two of his agents standing, panting with exhaustion, at his door.

"Hermione, she's been kidnapped." Said Ron looking alarmed.

"Are you sure? Is there any proof?" Asked Shacklebolt.

"What do you m- " Snapped Ron but was promptly interrupted by Harry.

"We followed her trail." Reported Harry. "We used the Immaginus Charm to see what had happened. She was ambushed, Kingsley, there is no way she could get away from that lot. We found residue of an anti-apparition ward. Malfoy was there."

"So was this." Ron retorted as he held out Hermione's wand in his hand.

"I assume this has something to do with that meeting today?" Replied Shacklebolt looking thoughtful.

"We can only assume." Said Harry.

"What do I care if it does or not, we have to do something." Exclaimed Ron angrily.

"I have a patrol in the area. I'll have them pay a visit on Malfoy." Said Shacklebolt as if he hadn't heard Ron's outburst. "And I'll send a crime unit to the scene to gather evidence. I assume you sealed the area."

"Of course we did! I want those responsible caught." Snapped Ron.

"And they'll be." Said Shacklebolt abruptly. He took a deep sigh. "Don't worry Ron, we'll find her." Shacklebolt said in a soothing voice feeling sorry for the distraught young man before him.

"I wanna join the team going to Malfoy's." Declared Ron.

"No, it's too dangerous." Said Shacklebolt.

"But - "

"No. Remember your report, they had a plan to get to Harry. This could be part of it. It could be a trap. I don't want to put two of my best operatives in danger. If she's there, we'll find her. If she's not, we'll bring Draco Malfoy for questioning. You two go home. Stay together, they'll be looking for you." Ordered Shacklebolt looking at Ron gravely.

Ron knew he couldn't go against his superior, and was aware of the danger to Hermione if he did something rash.

"Very well." He said abruptly and walked out of the office.

Shacklebolt turned his eyes to Harry in a silent order.

Harry seemed to understand. He nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him." He said.

"I'll owl you when he know something." Shacklebolt said. "Don't leave him on his own."

"I won't." Harry understood that Ron was most likely to drive himself crazy with worry. He walked out of the office and hurried to catch up to Ron.

Shacklebolt sighed with worry. The first thing he needed to do was to send reinforcements to the patrol group near Malfoy Manor.

Ron walked angrily through Auror Headquarters. Agents hurried to the changing room to get ready for patrol duty. Ron was tempted to join them. He knew that they were most likely to join the patrol going to Malfoy Manor. But he held himself back.

Harry caught up to him as he waited for a lift.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"Home." Ron snapped.

Harry shook his head vehemently. He knew that Ron shouldn't go home where he could only think of Hermione. There was only one place he knew where his friend would be taken care of. "You have to go to the Burrow." He said "Ginny and the others must be worried."

"You tell them." Ron growled. "I'm going home to wait."

"You can do that at the Burrow. Shacklebolt knows he can find us there. You owe it to them, Ron. Besides, you know your mother will go to you the moment she hears what happened." Harry urged as they stepped into the lift.

Ron was silent, but he knew Harry was right. "All right." He finally said.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ginny was worried. She had commissioned Fred and George to help her search Diagon Alley for Hermione and they had all come out with empty hands. They found no trace of Hermione anywhere and dusk had fallen.

She accompanied Fred and George back to the shop and waited for them to close before disapparating to the Burrow.

They found Mrs. Weasley finishing the meal. Charlie, Bill and Mr. Weasley where in the garden setting the table while Fleur and Percy tried to keep Fleur and Bill's three-year-old twins from making mischief.

"Hello all!" George and Fred called as they apparated in the drawing room with Ginny.

"Uncle Fwed! Uncle Geowge!" Two small bundles of energy rolled from the kitchen as Luc and Jeanette ran to greet their favorite uncles.

"Here are our favorite niece and nephew!" Exclaimed George as he tried to stop the running little boy.

"They're your only niece and nephew." Pointed Ginny.

"It's not our fault, is it? Tell the others to start working and supply us with more nieces and nephews." Said Fred as he raised a giggling little girl into his arms.

"I'm sure they'll like to please you." Replied their mother as she watched happily under the doorway.

"Hello Mum! What is these good news of yours?" Fred and George said at once.

"We'll wait until the others arrive." Mrs. Weasley said walking back into the kitchen.

Ginny walked silently behind her mother while Fred and George remained with Jeanette and Luc.

"Mum?" Ginny asked after looking around to make sure nobody else was in sight. "Have you heard from Hermione? She was supposed to have met me earlier but she never did."

Mrs. Weasley frowned. "That's not like her. I only received a message from Ron, after your father invited them for dinner and another telling me that Harry had agreed to come. I'm sure she's alright."

"I hope so." Prayed Ginny.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron and Harry apparated in the middle of the drawing room. They could hear Luc and Jeanette's laughter mingling with Fred and George's in the back yard. Mrs. Weasley could be heard chiding them from the kitchen door. Other voices floated from the yard, the rest of the Weasley clan was waiting for them.

"What am I gong to tell them?" Exclaimed Ron in horror, as memory of the reason for this family congregation came to him. To think that only this morning he was walking on clouds at the knowledge that Hermione was to be his wife. Now, she was missing and hurt for all he knew.

"The truth. What else is there?" Said Harry and stared pulling Ron to the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley heard their footsteps as they neared the kitchen door. "Hello dears, we've been waiting for you. And Hermione?" She asked as she noticed her daughter-in-law-to-be was not with them.

Before either of them could say a thing, Ginny hurried into the kitchen. "I saw you through the window. Where's Hermione? Did you find her?" She asked abruptly.

"She was kidnapped by Death Eaters." Ron announced with no preliminaries whatsoever.

Two surprised gasps escaped the two women before them. Harry was glaring at Ron; he obviously believed that Ron could have given them the news in a more gentle way.

"Oh dear!" Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, swaying on her feet.

"Here, Mrs. Weasley, sit down." Said Harry as he conjured a chair for her.

"Thank you, Harry dear, is was just the shock." She said as Ginny hurried for a glass of water for her mother. I'm fine now."

"What is going to happen now?" Asked Ginny as she presented the glass of water to her mother.

"We know Draco Malfoy is involved. Kingsley has sent a patrol to his house." Ron said, looking out the window where the rest of his family could be seen enjoying each other's company.

"I'm sure he'll contact us here if there are nay news." Said Harry.

"Of course they will." Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. There was a commotion in the yard, and suddenly, Jeanette and Luc came in running into the kitchen followed closely by Fred and George.

They could hear Bill and Fleur calling for them, but both pair of twins seemed to be ignoring them.

"Fred! George!" Snapped Mrs. Weasley. "Stop that at once. You cannot be changing into the kitchen unexpectedly, and you shouldn't be urging the children to do so. It could be dangerous. What if were still cooking and had things flying around."

"Sorry mum!" Replied Fred and George as one not looking contrite at all.

Jeanette and Luc had stopped to hear their grandmother chastise their uncles, but just as she finished her tirade, the saw Ron standing by the window.

"Uncle Won! Uncle Won!" They screamed as they ran to hug his legs.

Ron smiled at his niece and nephew. They still had trouble pronouncing their R's but he didn't mind, it was somewhat endearing to him. "Hello there, tykes." He said mussing their hair.

"Where's Hermione?" Asked Fred, looking around the kitchen for his brother's girlfriend.

"Isn't she coming? I thought mum said she would." George seemed a little surprised that she wasn't' there. He couldn't help but notice his youngest brother's cold expression at the mention of her name.

"Now it's not the time boys." Said Mrs. Weasley before the twins began their usual teasing. "We better go outside and tell everybody what happened."

"What happened?" Asked Fred and George.

Mrs. Weasley ignored them and led the others into the backyard. Ron hesitated only for a moment before following her out.

Everybody was there. Mr. Weasley was sitting at one end of a large table with Bill and Percy in a passionate conversation, by the looks of their abrupt gestures. Fleur was sitting in a bench near the hedges with Charlie as they read tidbits from that morning's Daily Prophet.

All discussions stopped when Mrs. Weasley came out, trailed by Ginny, Harry and a subdued Ron. Jeanette and Luc's hands were clasped tightly by Ginny's, and Fred and George tagged behind.

Mr. Weasley was the first to notice Hermione's absence. "Isn't Hermione coming?" He called.

Ron was tired of being asked the same question. He was glad his mother spoke first before he did.

"There is some bad news." Said Mrs. Weasley. The conversations became silent as everybody turned to look at her.

"I'll tell them, mum." Spoke Ron abruptly.

"No you won't, you only make things seem worse than they actually are." Interrupted Ginny.

"What could be worse than Hermione being kidnapped?" Snapped Ron angrily.

Ginny and Harry groaned as the others gasped in horror.

"Are you sure?"

"Who did it?"

"Where is she being held?"

"When did it happen?"

They all exclaimed at once.

"Settle down!" Yelled Mr. Weasley. "I'm sure Ron will explain if we all just sit and listen."

Harry looked at Ron with concern. "I think I better explain." He said.

Ron nodded abruptly and walked away from the others to the edge of the garden in silence.

Mrs. Weasley made to follow but Mr. Weasley stopped her before she moved any further. "Leave him be." He said softly. "He wants to be alone for a moment."

Mrs. Weasley nodded sadly. "And this was all meant to be for a happy moment." She said looking around the adorned yard.

"What do you mean, Mum?" Asked Bill as he placed a chair for her nearby.

Mr. Weasley nodded gratefully to his son and led his wife to the chair. "This was meant to celebrate Ron and Hermione's engagement." He announced. "He told me the news this morning."

"Oh no!" Exclaimed Ginny, in her concern for Hermione she had forgotten that some big news was meant to be shared with the family that evening.

"Harry, you better tell us everything." Declared Charlie, looking at the forlorn figure that was his youngest brother.

"I suppose it starts with me." Ginny said quickly before Harry began to speak. "We were to meet at the Leaky Cauldron today, you see. I invited her earlier this week. I waited for an hour, but she never arrived. I went to their flat and she wasn't there. Then I decided to go to the Ministry to see if she had been called in. When I learned she wasn't at her office I went to see if Ron knew where she was." She became silent.

"Ron sent Ginny back to Diagon Alley to see if Hermione had turned out. Ron and I asked for leave to go and look for her." Continued Harry. "We returned to their flat and began retracing her steps. We found evidence that she had been ambushed in an alley near the Leaky Cauldron. There were too many for her to be able to get away."

"Death Eaters?" Asked George angrily.

Harry nodded. "They erected an anti-apparition ward around the alley and used a portkey. Malfoy was there."

"That bastard!" Exclaimed Fred.

"Fred!" Chided Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry." But Fred didn't' seem contrite at all.

"What now?" Asked Percy, who until then had listened in silence as the others exclaimed and listened with scorn to Harry's story.

"Kingsley has sent a patrol unit to Malfoy Manor." Harry said. "He'll contact us here if there are any news."

"But we can't just stay here and wait." Bellowed George. "We should be out there looking for her."

"And where do you think you're going to go?" Snapped Bill. "You'll only be in the way if you go to Malfoy Manor. The Aurors should be there by now."

"But we have to do something." Said Fred angrily.

"We're going to wait for Kingsley to tell us what they found." Mr. Weasley declared. "Then we'll know if there's anything we can do."

"But - "

"No buts, boys." Proclaimed Mr. Weasley looking at Fred and George with a guarded expression as if daring them to go against his wishes. "There's nothing you can do for the moment."

There were groans and angry mumblings but none disagreed with the older man.

Ron had heard every word his family had uttered with conflicting emotions. He was pleased that his family approved of Hermione in such a way that they were willing to go out and search for her. At the same time, his anger and fear of what had happened to Hermione were uppermost in his mind. And that it all had happened on this day, which was meant to be one of celebration, made him bitter and sad.

The soft sound of Ginny's sobbing reached his ears and snapped him from his dark thoughts.

"It's my fault." Ginny sobbed. "She was out to meet me, if I hadn't invited her to Diagon Alley she would've been safe."

"Shh!" Harry was trying to soothe her as she pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair softly. "It isn't your fault. They must have kept an eye on her. She could've apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and perhaps she would've been safe for the moment but they would've done anything to get their hands on her."

"There were no clues, or rumors, that she might have been in danger?" Ginny asked softly.

"None." Harry assured her. "It was only until this morning that we found there was plot against me. I don't think any of us imagined that she would be their target. But even if we had known, it would've been too late to warn her."

The food had cooled on the table, the soup was congealing and the ice in the punch had melted. Everybody seemed to have lost their appetite.

The silence was broken by the sound of flapping wings.

An owl soared into the yard. It dived toward Ron and let an envelope drop before soaring away out of sight.

The Weasleys and Harry scrambled toward Ron as he ripped the envelope and read the parchment inside.

"Well?" Harry asked as Ron finished reading the note.

"They didn't find her in the Manor, but they've taken Malfoy in for questioning." He said.

* * *

A/N: Second chapter up, what do you think: ) I hope you have enjoyed the story so far. Remember, if you can't wait to see what happens next you can see the upcoming chapters in just keep in mind that I'm making some changes as I edit the chapters so that I can incorporate the latest facts from HBP, as the first fifteen chapters of this story were written before HBP was published. Thank you all for reading, I can't believe that a day after uploading the first chapter I already had 80 hits on the page! Hopefully you're eager to continue on with this story and will read this chapter and the others that are soon to follow. Don't forget to review!

Alexa


	3. Chapter 3

N/A: Here I am, once again with the third chapter all ready for you. I'm glad that you all seem to enjoy it so far. Don't worry about Ron, he'll come around, eventually. : D

* * *

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

_**Chapter 3 Jane Doe**_

Dawn was rising over a small suburban town, in northern United States. Miles away, across the ocean from English soil.

A young couple was walking from home ready for a long day of work. They heard a noise in an alley nearby.

"What was that?" The young woman asked, looking at her partner in fright.

"Stay here." Her partner replied as he walked cautiously to the entrance to the alley.

He could see nothing out of the way. Until he saw a body hidden among the bags of trash stashed against one of the walls.

"Oh, Lord." He whispered. "There's somebody down here." He said to his companion.

"Is it alive?" The woman asked.

"I don't know." The man approached the laying figure slowly.

As he approached he noticed that it was a young woman lying on the concrete floor. There was a gash on her temple and blood was pooling around her head. She was well-dressed, it was obvious that she didn't belong there.

"Miss? Miss, are you all right?" He asked.

There was no response.

"You better call 911." He called to his partner. "She looks like she needs help."

Half an hour later, the alley was blocked off with yellow tape. The bright lights of police cars and ambulance were glaring on the street. Two police officers were interviewing the couple while a pair of paramedics was trying to get the motionless body of a woman to the ambulance. A stoic detective stood at one side as the paramedics wheeled the woman past.

"Will she be all right?" He asked as he watched the paramedics place the woman inside the ambulance.

"I can't say." One of the paramedics replied. "We don't know how long she's been lying there before she was found, but she has bruises in her arms and has lost a lot of blood. Once we get her into a hospital the doctors will be able to tell you what happened."

The detective nodded his understanding. "I'll ride with you. I want to be there in case she regains consciousness."

"All right, but let's hurry." The paramedic urged.

The ambulance pulled away, hurrying through the streets on its way to the nearest hospital. The young woman didn't regain consciousness.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Well, what do you know?" Asked Ron as he hurried into Kingsley's office.

"So far, nothing." Said Shacklebolt looking at the angry young man before him warily. "She wasn't in the Manor, but we didn't find Malfoy alone, there was a group of Death Eaters with him."

"Has he said something?" Asked Harry as Ron slammed his fist into the wall.

"Nothing. We're about to use some Veritaserum." Shacklebolt reported.

"Right now?" Asked Ron abruptly.

"In a few minutes. I've sent Lambert for the potion." Shacklebolt replied.

"I want to be there." Ron exclaimed.

Shacklebolt peered into his face carefully. "All right, but any bouts of temper and you are out of the room."

Ron nodded.

"Interrogation Room 4." Said Shacklebolt. "Peters is in charge."

Ron and Harry hurried toward the holding area, the interrogation rooms were housed at the end of the corridor.

They could hear shouts and laughter coming from behind one of the doors.

The door opened before them and saw Auror Lambert throw an empty vial into the trash bin outside the door.

"Hold it, Lambert." Harry called. "We want to sit on this."

"Are you sure?" The young Auror asked watching Ron warily.

"Shacklebolt cleared us." Said Ron stonily and walked into the room.

"Well, well, well." Leered Malfoy. "If it isn't Potty and his Weasel."

"Where is she?" Asked Harry without preamble.

"Who are you talking about Potter?" Asked Draco Malfoy with a cold smile.

"Hermione, where is she?" Snapped Ron rushing to Malfoy's side. "You better tell us, Malfoy, otherwise you'll be very sorry."

"Oh? And what do you think you can do to me. You have no proof of anything." Malfoy laughed.

"We have proof of your presence when she was attacked." Harry replied coldly. "And I'm sure there were some things found in the Manor that will not be to your advantage."

"Circumstantial evidence." Leered Malfoy.

"It's enough." Ron said, his face a foot away from Malfoy's. "There are a lot of people who still remember your father. Like father like son, they'll say. Easy trial."

Malfoy leered once more, but the Aurors knew that Ron had hit a nerve. "I don't know, where she is." Malfoy finally said.

"Don't you lie to me!" Snapped Ron diving for Malfoy.

"Ron! Stop!" Harry grabbed hold of his friend before he could hurt Malfoy.

"He was given Veritaserum, Ron." Peters said. "He isn't lying."

"What happened to her?" Lambert asked putting his body between Ron and Malfoy, blocking any further attacks.

"I don't know." Malfoy leered. "The fools who were supposed to bring her didn't appear where they were supposed to."

"Did the portkey malfunction?" Asked Harry, letting go of Ron as he became calmer.

Malfoy shrugged disinterested. "Or the spell that hit them before it activated threw them off course."

"What happened to the men who were with her?" Ron asked.

"They hadn't returned when the Aurors raided the Manor." Malfoy replied.

Ron glanced at Harry and with a slight motion of the head walked toward the door. "I'll leave you to him, boys." He said before he opened the door and walked out of the room.

Harry was close behind him. "What do you reckon?"

"She's out there somewhere." Ron said. "And those Death Eaters must be nearby."

"They could be anywhere." Harry exclaimed. "Where do we look first?"

"She'll try to return home." Ron said.

"But if she's still in danger, she'll go to the nearest place she can feel safe." Harry replied.

"We'll have to ask Dad and the others to help. I'll go and see Mr. and Mrs. Granger, they know nothing of this yet and she might turn up there. Have the others canvas all the places she could go, Hogwarts, St. Mungo's, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, anywhere." Ron ordered.

"Are you going to be all right on your own?" Harry asked looking at his friend closely.

"I'm fine. We must find her before the Death Eaters do. At least now I have the hope that she's okay." Ron responded.

Harry nodded. "We'll find her."

"I hope so." Replied Ron in a choked voice.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"What can you tell me doctor?" Asked Detective Rivas as soon as the young woman was placed in her room. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Her body will recover, but I'm concerned about the head injury." The doctor replied. "She has bruises across her arms, it seems that there was a struggle. She might have tried to get away, without success it appears. But the injury to the head might have happened when she was thrown into that alley."

"So she wasn't attacked where she was found?" The detective asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. All I know is that her head injury is consistent to an injury from a heavy fall. If she had fallen on her own, the injury might have been minor, but the injury tells us that she was thrown or let go with force." The doctor said. "There are bruises across her chest, as if somebody tried to restrained her. The bruise on her temple is a mystery to us. We don't know how she got it. It could be on the fall, or hit during the struggle, I can't say for sure. But we can't get the gash on her head to stop bleeding."

"What about a rape kit?" The detective asked curiously.

"Done. Came out negative. No sign of force present." The doctor reported.

"Well, she was lucky in that at least." The detective replied.

"She was, there aren't many who are." The doctor smiled sadly.

"We didn't find any ID on her, did you find anything?" The detective asked.

"Nothing, only some jewelry on her." The doctor said leading the detective to a corner of the room. A small safe was embedded into the wall. "We found a golden chain around her neck with a charm. An H and a G." The doctor said lifting a tray from the open safe and showing it to the detective. "She was also wearing an engagement ring, quite nice too."

"So she's got a fiancé. Now the question is, who is he and how do we find him?" Asked the detective with exasperation.

"Are you sure she had nothing else with her?" The doctor asked looking back at her unconscious patient a few feet away.

"Nothing, no purse, no wallet. Nothing." The detective said.

"A robbery then?" The doctor frowned.

"Possibly. The perp could've gotten away with her purse." The detective said.

There was silence in the room while the nurse finished settling the unknown young woman. Her face was expressionless as she lay on the bed. Her bushy brown hair had been combed back on the pillow and her injuries dressed.

"How long will she remain unconscious?" Asked the detective.

"Hard to say. She could wake up in minutes or in hours. If she doesn't fall into a coma." The doctor replied.

"Is that possible?" Asked the detective alarmed.

"Anything is possible at this point with an injury like hers." Said the doctor. "We'll keep her under supervision twenty-four hours a day, until it is necessary. But even if she regains consciousness, it will take a long time for her to recover completely."

"Call me if there's any change." The detective pulled out a business card and handed it to the doctor. "I hope you're wrong about this and she can recover soon."

"I hope so too." The doctor replied.

With a last glance to the unmoving body, Detective Rivas left the room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"We'll divide into groups." Kingsley Shacklebolt, Chief of the Auror Squadron, was saying to his Aurors as they listened attentively in one of the conference rooms in the Ministry of Magic. "She might be anywhere. Keep in mind that there might be Death Eaters nearby. As you can see on the map before you, I have divided the region into fifteen different areas, each group will be assigned to one. Remember to dress in Muggle clothes."

The Aurors were silent and some were scribbling notes or discussing silently their mission. Only two where paying complete attention.

Ron and Harry were sitting in the front row, a few feet away from the map that Shacklebolt had pointed to. They had been planning this the whole morning. It had been twenty-four hours since Hermione first disappeared and they had not been able to find her. They were hoping that with the help of the other Aurors, she would be found sooner.

"You are dismissed. You will find your instructions on your desk. Make sure to report whenever you leave and return." Shacklebolt ordered as Aurors started to make their way out the room.

At last, only Harry and Ron remained.

"Has Malfoy said anything else?" Asked Ron as soon as they were alone with their superior.

"Nothing more." Shacklebolt said. "The Death Eaters present in the attack have all been rounded up, except for two, they've gone missing."

"The ones who took Hermione." Ron stated.

Shacklebolt nodded. "There has been no sign of them anywhere and they have not tried to contact any of the others."

"We can only assume that they are with Hermione." Harry said stoically.

"Indeed. Have you spoken to the Grangers?" Shacklebolt asked Ron.

"Came to the meeting from their house." Ron said. "They're worried. Mum said she was going to see Mrs. Granger and keep her company. They want to contact Muggle police."

"They mustn't." Exclaimed Shacklebolt. "At least not for now. Let's wait forty-eight hours, if we know nothing by then we'll contact our police liaison to take the case."

"Are you sure? I don't think the police will be able to deal with Death Eaters." Harry commented.

"It will be best if we contact them. Members of our police liaison have been trained in both Auror Academy and Police Academy. They are the best people to investigate in the Muggle world when we have witches and wizards to consider. If they find her and the Death Eaters, they'll know how to make it so that they are dealt through the proper channels in the Ministry without the Muggle Police noticing anything out of order." Shacklebolt said.

"If you're sure." Said Ron grudgingly.

"And they will be of great help if we have to take this case internationally." Shacklebolt said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Harry surprised. He had not heard of any intent to take the case to an international level until now.

"The Death Eaters have been talking." Explained Shacklebolt. "Some of them have said that Hermione and their conspirators were hit with a Disarming Spell, not to mention some others, the minute the portkey activated."

"That would've given the portkey more power than it meant to have!" Exclaimed Ron.

"Not to mention the fact that they could've been disintegrated in the process." Harry said.

"Don't even say it." Growled Ron.

"There is no sign that disintegration took place. We would've found proof of it in the scene. We must assume that the portkey took them out of range." Shacklebolt said.

"That could mean they could be anywhere in the world." Ron groaned. "How for Merlin's sake are we going to find them?"

"We'll start within the continent. I have a meeting with Walters tomorrow morning and then we'll set meetings with the other European Auror Chiefs." Shacklebolt reported. "We'll do all that is possible to find her."

"Thanks, Kingsley." Ron mumbled and dragged his feet out the room.

"He's taking it hard." Harry said looking after his departing friend.

"I can see that." Shacklebolt said. "But you must know there is no guarantee that she'd be found."

"I really don't want to think that." Harry said. "She must be somewhere Kingsley. She couldn't just have disappeared without a trace."

"But with this new information she could be anywhere. We simply don't have the resources to fund a search in such a large scale. We can only hope that the other agencies will help us as much as they can. But they have their own cases and I can only assume that ours will be secondary." Shacklebolt replied.

"That doesn't sound good." Harry said looking grieved at the thought that his friend could be lost forever.

"I'm sorry. We're doing all we can, Harry, but we all have our limits." Said Shacklebolt. He was saddened by what had happened and what it was causing to his young friends. But he didn't think he should give them hopes when the odds were against them.

Harry nodded with understanding and left his superior to his own thoughts as he made his way out of the room.

Harry found Ron a few feet away.

"We're not going to find her, are we?" Ron asked softly.

"I don't know." Harry responded truthfully.

Ron sagged against the wall, his body shaking with silent sobs.

"I won't stop until we know something." Promised Harry. "One way or another, Hermione will come home."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Detective Rivas sat waiting for Doctor Milbourne in the waiting room. He had gone home last night and didn't sleep thinking about the young woman lying unconscious on a hospital bed. He was determined to help her as much as he could possible do.

The doctor came in looking worried. "Detective." She nodded. "I'm glad that you could come, it's about our young friend."

"Did she regain consciousness?" Asked the detective becoming alert.

"Unfortunately, no." The doctor replied. "But we finally have stopped the blood from flowing from her head injury."

"That's good news." The detective said.

"But we have no way to know what damage it caused. I have ordered some tests, including x-rays and scans, and a whole lot of others I could think of. We'll wait to see what we find. But she has lost too much blood, while it is true that head wounds usually bleed profusely, I'm still worried. We don't know how much she lost before she was found and that can affect brain activity in some way. I'm surprised she wasn't brain dead when she was found." The doctor reported.

"Hasn't there been any progress? Any movement, opened her eyes, anything." Asked Detective Rivas worried.

"Some movement, but she hasn't regained consciousness." The doctor replied. "But it's been only twenty-four hours since she was brought in. Sometimes it takes longer for patients to regain consciousness after a head injury, and hers was very serious."

"I was hoping you had good news for me." Detective Rivas sighed tiredly.

"You haven't had any luck yet?" Doctor Milbourne asked apprehensively.

"Nothing, I've been keeping my eyes on the Missing Persons Reports. Nothing so far." Detective Rivas reported.

"It's only been twenty-four hours, it usually takes forty-eight for a report to be done." The doctor said.

"That's true, I just had hoped that somebody had called." The detective said.

"What happens if she was here for business and nobody reports her?" Worried Doctor Milbourne, she didn't like the thought of the young woman being on her own in the hospital and they had no one to contact.

"I'm preparing a bulletin. Her description and a sketch will be released to the media. We can just hope that something comes of it. We'll wait until she can tell us something." Detective Rivas replied.

"I hope I can have good news for you then." The doctor said. "I'll call you if there is any change."

"Do that. I'll see you later, doctor." Detective Rivas shook hands with Doctor Milbourne and made his way through the corridors to the parking lot.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron had been silent throughout the day. Aurors had come in and out reporting any finds, but nothing related to Hermione's disappearance.

Harry was worried about his friends.

He was feeling so helpless and wished he could do a lot more than what he was currently doing. But knew no way of helping.

Aurors had been working around the clock for the last twenty-four hours and it seemed like Harry and Ron had been in the midst of it all just as long. Ron had refused to return to the Burrow, despite the urging of Harry and his family. Harry didn't want to leave him on his own, as a result, both Harry and Ron slept in cots in one of the offices.

Mrs. and Mr. Weasley stayed with the Grangers for long hours, hoping and praying for Hermione's safe return, but every owl brought no news of her return.

Everybody was on edge. Where could she be and how could they find her?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Doctor Milbourne kept a close eye on her unconscious patient. It had been two days since she had been found and they had had no success finding out her identity.

Detective Rivas had visited every day hoping that their friend could tell them something, but every time he had been disappointed.

Now, Doctor Milbourne was doing her daily rounds and found herself in the room with the unknown young woman.

As she checked the charts and the latest reports, the doctor heard a slight sound. She turned around. There was nobody in the room and her patient was still motionless.

She frowned, she was sure she had heard something.

She went back to the charts in her hands and was startled by the sound of a moan.

Doctor Milbourne looked quickly at her patient. She was still motionless, but there was a change in her expression. She looked like she was in pain and having a troubled dream.

"NO!" The young woman moaned. "No!"

"Miss! Miss!" The doctor called, hoping that this was a sign of improvement.

The young woman continued moaning and started to shake.

The doctor hurried to push a button on the headboard. Seconds later the sound of running feet was heard heading her way.

"Doctor?" Asked one of the nurses as three of them hurried into the room.

"Alice, call Detective Rivas. Tell him there's a change." She ordered to the youngest nurse. "Mary, Jackie, help me will you? It seems that she's coming into consciousness."

The nurses went hurried to do as the doctor ordered. There was a sense of desperation as the women tried to keep the young woman from doing herself damage as she started to shake and sob on the bed. In some cases twisting abruptly almost pulling the I.V. needles from her arm. Finally, a tranquilizer was injected and their patient became calm.

"She's going to be quiet for a while." Said the doctor. "But I want somebody to stay here and keep an eye on her. If she makes any movement, any movement at all, page me."

"Yes doctor." The two remaining nurses replied.

Their patient remained quiet for some time, until she started to moan once more.

The doctor was instantly paged and it wasn't long until she found herself in room 234 once more.

"Any changes?" She asked the moment she arrived.

"She started moaning." The nurse replied. "But she hasn't moved."

"Well, let's see is she can answer us." The doctor said. "Miss? Can you hear me?"

The young woman on the bed moaned and her eyelids fluttered.

"Miss? Do you hear me?" The doctor asked again.

The patient moaned again and her eyelids continued fluttering as if she was trying to open them.

"Was Detective Rivas called?" The doctor asked as she looked at the figure on the bed.

"Yes, doctor. He was in a meeting but a message was left." The nurse said.

The doctor nodded. She knew the detective would come to the hospital as soon as he was able.

Suddenly, their patient started to shake once more, but not as violently as she had done before.

The doctor and nurse waited to see if there was any further change, but for several minutes they thought there would not be any; until their patient seemed to calm herself and her eyes started to flutter once more.

"Doctor?" A nursed called from the door.

Doctor Milbourne turned abruptly toward her. "Yes?" She snapped.

"Erm…there's a Detective Rivas looking for you." Said the nurse hesitantly.

The doctor sighed preoccupied. "I'm sorry Janet. Tell him to come here." She said.

The nurse nodded and hurried to do as she was bid.

Minutes later, the detective hurried into the room.

"They said there was a change." He said abruptly.

"There is. She seems to be coming conscious." The doctor said as she sat by the bed.

"Has she said anything?" Asked the detective becoming alert.

"Nothing." The doctor said. "Only groans and the word no over and over again. She became very agitated and we had to sedate her."

"Was that wise?" Asked the detective taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

"Perhaps not, but she could've hurt herself if we didn't." The doctor said taking her eyes from her patient and turning to look at the young detective.

"How long do you think it take until she wakes up?" Detective Rivas asked.

"Can't say." The doctor said turning back to her patient.

The young woman's hands were shaking, but her breathing was deep. The doctor frowned with concern. Her patient had lived through a traumatic event and they couldn't do anything to help her until she told them what happened. The doctor couldn't know what kind of damage her head injury had created, according to the tests performed, there was slight trauma on the cranium but the brain seemed fine. But until she could do further tests and refer her to specialist, she couldn't say with a certainty if the attack hadn't caused any type of mental trauma to their young friend.

She noticed the slight twitching of the young woman's hands. The doctor looked up to her patient's face and was surprised to see a pair of brown eyes looking curiously at her.

"Well, hello." The doctor said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Whispered the young woman. "Where am I?"

"You're in Ruthesford County Hospital." Said the detective, who had left his seat abruptly when the doctor first spoke.

The young woman's brow frowned in confusion. "Where is that?" She asked.

"Southern Ruthersford town, Miss." Said the doctor.

The young woman still seemed confused.

"Do you remember what happened?" The detective urged.

The young woman's frown became intense, eventually shaking her head. "No. I can't - I don't know."

Detective Rivas sighed with disappointment. The case would not be easy to solve if the victim couldn't tell him much of the attack she had suffered.

"Do you remember anything at all?" The doctor said frowning in concern as she noticed her patient's hesitant replies.

The young woman's frown remained in place. "I - I can remember voices, but - I can't understand what they're saying." She said slowly. "There are lights - flashes of light – laughter - screams."

The detective and doctor shared a concerned glance.

"Is there something else you remember?" Asked the detective hopeful that she could tell him something that could help with her case.

The young woman shook her head slowly. "No, only lights - an orange light coming toward me." She mumbled.

"Can you tell us your name, my dear? We must contact your family, your friends." Said the doctor gently.

The young woman's frown intensified. "I - I don't know." She sounded lost, confused and sad all at once.

The detective groaned with frustration. This turn of events only made things worse.

"It's alright, dear. Rest, I'll come and see you later." The doctor said. She turned to the nurse, who until then had worked silently at one corner of the room waiting for the doctor to give her further orders. "Susan, make sure she's given medication for the pain she must be feeling and order a tray of food, I'm sure she must be hungry."

"Yes, doctor." Said the nurse and hurried out the room.

"Doctor – " The detective began to say.

"Not here." Interrupted the doctor looking at her patient pointedly.

The detective understood and followed the doctor out the door, leaving a confused and fearful young woman behind.

The doctor led the detective down the corridor, past the nurse station and bedrooms and through a door. They walked into a narrow corridor where several office doors opened at both sides of the hallway.

Doctor Milbourne opened one of the doors and motioned the detective to take one of the chairs placed before the desk on the opposite wall.

"What does it all mean, doctor?" The detective asked without preamble. "What are these lights and words she doesn't understand?"

"I don't know, detective." The doctor said, sitting on the chair behind the desk. "Her amnesia might be only temporary. The fact that she remembers these things is a good sign."

"But how will this help find her family? Nothing has appeared on Missing Persons Reports and by her accent, I can safely say she's not from around here."

The doctor nodded in agreement. She had noticed the clear British accent that had accompanied their patient's hesitant answers.

"Could she be here on business?" The doctor asked.

"Perhaps. I'll start my investigation with Immigration. With their latest efforts in security, they should have some type of record of her entry into the States." The detective said. "Meanwhile, I think I will release that bulletin to the media. Maybe she met somebody since she came and we can find a person who can tell us who she is."

"Let me know what you find. I'll get in contact with a couple of experts from Hennepin County who might be able to tell us more about her amnesia." The doctor replied.

"Very well. I'll see you later, doctor." The detective shook hands with the doctor as he prepared to leave the office.

"Good bye, Detective Rivas. Good luck in your search." The doctor said.

She watched the detective walked toward the main entrance. She wished events could have been different and their young friend would be on the mend. But Detective Rivas was right, the new turn of events only made things more difficult.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"It just isn't possible." Ron exclaimed. "Four days, we've been looking for four days and nothing."

"Don't become so excitable, Ron. You know how difficult this sort of investigations can be." Harry replied. "But we're not giving up. One way or another, we'll find her."

The two young Aurors were sitting in one of the conference rooms with open files littering the surface of the large table in the middle of the room. The windows on the walls showed a sunny day, with birds and insects flying and buzzing around the plants outside. The fire in the large fireplace warmed the room and the dancing flames lit the surrounding space.

"It's taking too long, it shouldn't be taking this long." Ron growled, pushing one of the open files away from him.

"Ron, you need to take a break from all this. You've been here for four days. Go home, rest, go to the Burrow, go to the bloody moon! But please, go." Burst out Harry making sure his friend's outburst didn't mess the order of the files they were reviewing.

"I can't. How can I rest knowing that Hermione is out there in the hands of Death Eaters. She could be hurt, or dead, for all I know." Ron cried out. "I can't - I can't rest until I know what happened to her. I want her here, Harry. Here, with me."

"I know." Harry said softly. "I miss her too. She's my friend too, Ron, you are not the only one who cares about her. I care about her too."

"I'm sorry." Whispered Ron. "I miss her too much, you know."

"I know." Replied Harry.

"What am I going to do, Harry, if we can't find her?"

"Don't think of that." Exclaimed Harry, looking at his brooding friend closely. "We'll find her. You'll see, one of this days we'll get the information we need and we'll find her."

"I hope so." Murmured Ron.

He pulled the file back before him, it was time to return to work. The more work he had the less he thought about the danger Hermione could be in.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Did you find out anything about our Jane Doe?" Asked Doctor Milbourne the minute Detective Rivas entered her office a few days after their unknown patient regained consciousness.

"Nothing. Immigration has no record of her entering the country and nobody has identified her from our bulletin. I don't know where else to look!" Exclaimed Detective Rivas in exasperation.

It was close to a week since the young woman had been found lying in a dark alley. Her physical injuries seemed to be mending but her amnesia remained and she hadn't been able to tell them anything about herself.

The doctor had shown her the items that had been found on her, hoping that they would trigger some memory. Unfortunately, it had all been in vain and the young woman's mystery continued.

The hospital staff and the detective began calling her Jane Doe in lack of a proper identity.

Jane had become accustomed to her surroundings. She was gentle and respectful to the staff and spent her days recuperating in one of the rooms. But soon, her injuries would be mended and she would have to leave the hospital. But where would she go?

The doctor was concerned for the young woman who had become a friend in the few days she had met her, and hoped to find a way to help after Jane left the hospital.

"What do you think happened?" Asked the doctor. "She couldn't just show up out thin air."

"She must have been smuggled in somehow." The detective said with a concerned frown. "The question is, why?"

"Well, there is nothing in her body that shows that drugs were involved. And I don't want to believe that she would be involved in any kind of terrorism." The doctor proclaimed.

"I want to agree with you. But there is any number of reasons why she was smuggled into the country. There are many degenerates who pay large quantities of money to smuggle in young women for their special pleasures." Detective Rivas replied.

"Whatever the reason is, something made them to want to get rid of her." Doctor Milbourne said. "I shudder to think of the state she could've been found if they hadn't. The injuries she suffered were serious enough."

"But unless she can tell us who did this to her and how she was brought here, there is no way to find them." The detective said. "Is it too much to hope that she will regain her memory any time soon?"

"I'm afraid it is." The doctor replied. "The brain is still a mystery to us. There is no way of knowing what will trigger the memories she has lost. She can regain her memory at any time."

"I was afraid of that." Sighed the detective dejectedly.

"What happens next? There must be a way to find out who she is?" The doctor asked with some concern.

"There's one more thing I'm going to try. I got permission to go to Washington D.C. and meet with the British Ambassador. I hope he can get us the information we need. If she has family in Britain, they must have filed a Missing Persons Report somewhere." The detective reported.

"When do you leave?" The doctor asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Detective Rivas replied. "I've made an appointment for later in the afternoon. Let us hope that something comes out of this."

"Good luck." The doctor said.

"We'll need it." The detective said and walked down the corridor.

Doctor Milbourne watched him leave with trepidation. She wished there could be more she could do to make his job easier but things didn't seem to go as they wished.

* * *

A/N: There you go, what do you think? You didn't think I was going to make it easy for them to find each other, did you? At first I had placed Hermione on my home state, but as I was editing I decided to make it more ambiguous, but if you're really observant, one of the names I used for the places mentioned in this chapter is real while the rest are made up (as far as I know, if there are any places with the names mentioned other than the one I have said is a real place, then it's pure coincidence), and if you make some research you'll know in what state I live on. : ) Thank you all for your reviews, I'm glad that you're enjoying this so much. I know I tend to leave chapters in cliffies, I'm just evil that way! Lol! 303 hits by the time this chapter is uploaded, It's quite gratifying to find that people actually like to read what I write, and I truly appreciate it. I'm going to be out for most of the weekend, so I won't be able to upload another chapter until next week. Enjoy the chapter, I'll get the next chapter up as soon as I'm able.

Alexa


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Oh wow! I never expected so much interest! I'm glad that you are all enjoying the story so far. Now in this chapter you will see some talk regarding hospital administration and Immigration issues, I'm not an expert in these areas so I'm making it up as I go. But, if any of you do have any information regarding those issues, let me know and I will change it later on. You will also notice that I do not call Hermione by her name, but as Jane, and that's because I don't want to confuse anybody. Ok, let's continue with the story.

_

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.__

* * *

**Chapter 4 A New Beginning**_

Doctor Milbourne was happy to see that Jane was recuperating rapidly. Her physical injuries were almost mended completely but her loss of memory still remained.

After two weeks in the hospital, Jane was ready to leave. But the question still remained, where would she go?

Detective Rivas had an interesting meeting with the British Ambassador, unfortunately, it would take time to know if the meeting was successful. But Detective Rivas was confident that soon their mystery would be solved. The only thing to do now was to find a way to help their young friend.

On this sunny day, Detective Rivas and Doctor Milbourne met for dinner to discuss their Jane Doe.

"Administration is not willing to let her stay any longer." The doctor was saying. "There's nobody to vouch for her and they're not willing to endure the monetary loss to the establishment by allowing her to stay this long. I've told them I'm willing to take care of her expenses, but that's not enough for them to allow her to remain any longer."

"But wouldn't it be better if she stayed in the hospital for a while longer?" The detective asked with some concern. "I would've thought that you and the specialists would want to keep her there until her memory came back."

"We would, but we don't know how long it would take. The specialists say that she could be a productive worker in society. There is no physical impediment that would keep her from living a normal life as she is right now. So technically, she can leave the hospital and carry on with her life." The doctor replied.

"I suppose you guys know what you're talking about." Said the detective. "But what is she supposed to do? She has no ID, no green card or work permit. How is she supposed to get a job without them? She can't pay rent if she can't work."

"I talked with Immigration to see what her choices are and they said that a temporary work permit can be issued to her. It will last only six months but it can be renewed if her condition doesn't change. That will allow her to remain here and work while the investigation is done." The doctor said. "But if after a year things continue the same, she'll have to be sent back to England."

"Let us hope that it won't take that long to find out what happened to her." The detective said. "Let's see what we can do for her now."

"My mother has a couple of rooms that she rents. One of them is empty. She's willing to give it to her while you continue with the investigation." Doctor Milbourne said.

"That's nice of her. I'll see about employment." Detective Rivas replied. "I have a few friends with businesses that are always looking for some help."

Dinner was coming to an end; the drinks had been drunk and the desserts eaten. The waitress arrived with the check. Detective Rivas was the first to reach for it.

"Allow me." He said to the doctor.

"Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

"Very." He replied with a smile. "If anything else, I can write it off as a business expense."

"That's nice." Laughed the doctor as the detective counted off the bills and placed them on the table.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked as he eased the chair back for her.

"No, thank you, I drove myself." The doctor said as they started out the restaurant.

"Very well. Call me if anything happens." He said before separating in the parking lot.

"I will." The doctor said and walked to her car.

Detective Rivas watched as she opened her door and slid into the driver's seat. He walked to his own car only after watching the doctor's car driving away.

He sat behind the wheel for a minute or two, lost in his own thoughts. He wished he had more to go on. He didn't like the thought of that young woman continuing living as she was with no knowledge of her past, no memory of the people who were sure to love her. She had a right to get her life back, and he was determined to help her as much as he was able.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was in a rage.

Earlier that morning, Kingsley Shacklebolt had called Ron and Harry into his office.

"I'm sorry, boys." He said. "But we're pulling the Aurors from the search for Hermione."

"WHAT? HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?" Ron roared to his superior.

Shacklebolt seemed startled for a second before cutting off Ron's tirade. "Ron, listen." He snapped militantly. "We cannot continue searching for her twenty-four hours a day. The Office of Wizard and Muggle Relations will continue the search along with the Muggle Police Liaison Office, but starting today, the Aurors will not be in charge of her case."

"That is not acceptable." Said Ron between gritted teeth. "She was kidnapped by Death Eaters!"

Shacklebolt sighed. "I know, Ron. I'm not trivializing the case, but you know as much as I do that the Death Eater activity has been great lately. We need the Aurors on the alert, we cannot continue putting all our resources on Hermione's case. The case is not being closed, it's only being assigned to another office that can give it the attention it needs."

"That's bu – "

"Ron." Interjected Harry, stopping his friend from saying something he would later regret.

Shacklebolt looked at the black-haired young man. Harry had been silent since he had entered the office, but Shacklebolt knew that he must be as angry as his more voluble friend.

"Will the case be severely pursued?" Asked Harry.

"It will. We will give them any support in the matter, if available, but I cannot guarantee any check up on the case." Shacklebolt said. "There's something else." He added. "You are on leave, I want you two to clear your heads and put all your energies into our cases. This matter with Hermione has made you two undependable. Take a couple of weeks off, I want you back in form when you return."

Harry nodded and pulled a sputtering Ron out of their superior's office.

"Did you hear what he said?" Snapped Ron the moment the door had closed behind them.

"I heard." Harry said.

"The nerve of them. How dare they say that Hermione doesn't matter?" Ron exclaimed as they started making their way out of Auror Headquarters.

"He didn't say that, and you know it." Said Harry. "But let's not think of it and let's keep our mind in the next two weeks."

"What are you talking about? You heard him, we're off for two weeks." Ron said angrily.

"Exactly. Which means, that we can go and investigate on our own." Harry said promptly.

Ron was quiet for a minute. "You're right." He was somewhat excited. "With nothing to occupy us we can go and investigate as much as we want."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Doctor Milbourne was helping Jane Doe to pack. This was the last day Jane would be in the hospital and that evening Doctor Milbourne would be driving her to her mother's house to start a new life.

"Are you sure it will be all right with your mother?" Asked Jane as the last items she had collected over the past month she had spent in the hospital were packed.

"She'll be happy to have you. Usually the people who rent her rooms are business men, and she's happy to have another woman around the house." The doctor said soothingly.

"I really appreciate all you and Detective Rivas have done for me." Jane said turning to look at the woman who had become a friend to her in the past month.

"Never mind. We're here to help." Said Doctor Milbourne with a smile.

"I know, but you didn't have to pay so much attention to me. I'm sure there are a lot of other people who needed your help as well." Jane replied turning back to her packing.

She didn't have much. There were the two pieces of jewelry that she had when she was found that dark night. She had glanced at them so often wishing they would trigger something in her mind, but so far that hadn't happened. There were clothes and toiletries that the doctor and nurses had giver her during her stay. She had to make sure to get something for them as soon as she starts to work. And there were a few envelopes in which Detective Rivas had given her copies of paperwork on her case. She had asked him to keep her informed of everything being done and he had kept his word so far.

"Linda was telling me Detective Rivas came earlier to see you." The doctor said as she watched the silent woman.

"He did." Said Jane with a smile. "He said a friend of his agreed to employ me at his store. I start in three days, but he's going to take me to the store tomorrow to meet him."

"Those are good news." Said Doctor Milbourne. "I'm sure you'll do well."

"I hope so." Jane said feeling a little apprehensive about the matter. "I don't know if I'll be able to remember everything they try to teach me."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about." Replied the doctor. "You have a quick mind and you seem to be able to learn fast."

"How is it that I can learn fast and still don't remember what happened before in my life?" Asked Jane softly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will come with time." Said Doctor Milbourne with sympathy, she could only imagine how hard it was for her patient. The loss of one's memory was like losing a big part of one's being.

"Are you sure it will come back?" Asked Jane with worry. "What if it doesn't?"

"It will." Said the doctor. "We just need to find your family and friends, I'm sure that they will be able to trigger your memory."

"Detective Rivas hasn't been able to." Jane replied sadly.

"He will. He seems to be a determined man." Doctor Milbourne said.

Jane chuckled. "He does seem very determined, doesn't he?"

"He does indeed." Smiled the doctor.

"You fancy him." Smiled Jane.

"I'm sorry, I what?" Asked the doctor in confusion.

"You know, you fancy him - you like him." Jane said.

"Oh." The doctor laughed and her cheeks flushed pink. "I like him as a person, that's all."

Jane looked skeptical, but she was sure of what she had seen in the silent glances the doctor threw to the handsome detective every time he visited.

"But enough of this." Exclaimed Doctor Milbourne. "It's time for us to go. Do you have everything?"

"Yes. I only have a few things." Jane replied.

"Let's go then. I told mom we were going to be there for dinner. She's very eager to meet you." The doctor said as they left behind the empty hospital room and made their way down the corridor and past the nurse's station.

"Good bye!" Jane said to the nurses as she walked past the station.

"Good bye, Jane!"

"Good luck!"

"Come for a visit." They called as she continued after the doctor.

"I will." She called back.

They crossed the lobby and the gift shop, making their way toward the parking ramp.

"I park my car near the ramp entrance." The doctor explained as they crossed the ambulance parking area toward the personnel parking. "I'm lucky to be assigned one of the front spaces."

"Have you worked here long?" Jane asked as the doctor pointed to a gray Toyota Tercel nearby.

"I've been here for six years total, I did my residency here and stayed after that." The doctor said as she turned the key on the door and pushed the button to allow Jane to open the passenger's door.

Jane placed her small bag under the seat and climbed into the car. She looked around the neat car and had a sudden thought.

"This seems wrong somehow." She said.

"What do you mean?" Asked the doctor in surprise. "What is wrong?"

"I don't know, it just seems that it shouldn't be like this." Jane said sweeping her hand around the car.

The doctor looked around her in confusion. What could Jane mean? Then something came to mind. She had seen a few programs in a cable channel and had noticed that in England the structure of a car was different than in America. She laughed happily.

Jane looked at her with a frown. "What's funny?" She asked.

"I'm happy you said that." The doctor said with a smile. "It means that your mind remembers things even if you don't recognize them."

"What do you mean?" Asked Jane in confusion.

"I was noticing the other day in a TV show that cars in England look a little different inside from American cars." The doctor explained. "Your mind seemed to have caught it the minute you saw the inside of the car and it triggered that knowledge stored in your brain. That's a good sign, Jane, it means that with time, things will trigger memories and eventually you'll be able to piece together the memories of your past."

Jane smiled happily. The doctor's explanation gave her the hope that it wouldn't be too long for her to regain her memory completely.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"What do you mean you're on leave?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as Ron and Harry reported to the Burrow after leaving the Ministry.

"Shacklebolt put us on leave for the next two weeks." Repeated Ron. "He said we weren't in shape to continue on our posts."

"You didn't anger him, did you?" Asked Ginny, who sat in one corner of the table helping her mother to peel the vegetables for their meal.

"Of course not! - Well, I don't think I did." Replied Ron.

"Oh, Ron. You did, didn't you? Really, Ron, how many times have we told you that you must learn how to control your temper lest it gets you in trouble?" Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley with exasperation.

"I know, I know. But he said that he was pulling the Aurors from the search and that they were moving the case to another office and I - I kinda lost my head, a bit." Ron explained slowly.

"We knew it would happen, dear." Said Mrs. Weasley. "Especially after two weeks had passed and there were no news yet of her. It has been almost a month since her disappearance, and Kingsley has allowed the case to go on much longer than expected."

"But how will the Muggle Police and Muggle Relations deal with this?" Ron asked angrily. "They have no experience in this sort of thing."

"The police do this all the time, Ron." Said Harry who had allowed his friend to explain to his parent and sister what had happened at the Ministry. "Who do you think look for all those missing Muggles?"

"Well, yeah, but this is different." Said Ron.

"No, it isn't." Said Ginny. "She is a missing person. Perhaps they have other ways to search for her and will be more successful than the Aurors. The Muggle Police Liaison Office had begun in the case at any rate, didn't they released a missing persons bulletin in the Muggle Media last week?"

"But nothing has come of it, has it?" Snapped Ron.

"It'll take time, dear." Said Mrs. Weasley stepping in before they started bickering.

"I heard they were preparing to release the bulletin to the European Embassies. They are looking for the Death Eaters who took her as well, you know. They haven't been caught either." Harry said.

"Do you think they took her out of the country?" Asked Mrs. Weasley concerned.

"It is possible." Ron conceded. "We always knew that if they weren't found in a matter of weeks that we would have to go abroad to continue the search."

"How are the Grangers doing? I haven't been to see them for the past week." Asked Harry.

"They're worried, of course." Replied Mrs. Weasley. "Who isn't? But they have hope that she'll be found."

"Of course she will. I'm not resting until she's back home." Exclaimed Ron.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Doctor Milbourne's mother was a gentle, motherly looking woman. She was short and stout with gray hair. Jane instantly felt comfortable in her presence, and couldn't help the feeling that she knew somebody quite like the kindly woman.

"You must be Jane." She said smiling at the nervous young woman at her daughter's side. "Marilyn explained everything to me. It's a shame what you're going through, but we must hope that everything will come out right in the end."

"I hope so." Jane said with a sad smile.

"Don't worry." Mrs. Milbourne said. "Marilyn, honey, why don't you take her to the spare bedroom."

"Okay, mom. Jane, let me show you where you'll be staying." Doctor Milbourne motioned Jane to follow her.

"Thank you. Nice meeting you Mrs. Milbourne." Jane said softly.

"Just come down within the half-hour, dinner should be ready by then." Mrs. Milbourne called after them.

"All right, mom." Called Marilyn Milbourne as she led Jane up the stairs toward the spare bedroom. "It's not a large room." She began explaining to Jane. "But you'll like it. You can see the park across the street from the window. The view is very nice during the winter." She opened a door just beside the landing. There were plants hanging from the banisters and a large window looking out to the backyard on the wall against the stairs.

Doctor Milbourne opened the door to the spare bedroom and led Jane in.

Jane looked around. Her companion had been right, the room was not large but it was furnished and there was enough light coming in through the only window on the wall across from the door.

By the door was the closet. Jane opened it and looked at the sparse space available, not that she really cared, as she had a few things in her possession. On the other side of the door was a comfortable looking chair. The plush cushions seemed inviting, specially after a tiring day. Beside the chair was a long mirror. The side wall was empty of pictures or any adornment, the only thing against it was a large dresser with a small chair before it, and a mirror adorned with carved roses and leaves around it. Below the window was a television with a VCR/DVD player, the wooden table on which they stood was clean and waxed with no speck of dust on it.

The bed was set against the remaining wall, just next to the closet. The twin bed seemed small but agreed with the rest of the furnishing, leaving ample space in the middle for movement.

"Do you like it?" Asked Doctor Milbourne as she set Jane's only bag on the chair.

"Oh, yes." Said Jane looking around. "It's very cozy."

The doctor laughed. "That's just the nice way of saying it's small." She said. "But I suppose it's nice enough. It used to be my room before I left for school, you know. Mom started renting it after I moved out. Father was still alive then, but he had retired so they started renting the guest rooms then. There are always business people looking for a furnished room while they travel, and that gave them some extra income. But after dad died, I thought she wouldn't continue to do so. I certainly worried about it. She was alone in the house, after all. But then my cousin moved in and he has kept an eye on her since then."

"Why don't you live here?" Asked Jane with curiosity. It seemed the most reasonable thing to do.

"Well, as you must have noticed, it is a long commune from the hospital to here. It would take me hour and a half each morning and evening to return home, and that's only if the traffic it's good. It would be twice as long during the rush hours. That's why I bought a house near the hospital. It gives me more freedom to come and go as I please." The doctor explained.

"I see, I suppose I understand. This seems like a nice neighborhood." Jane said as she looked out the window. There were people jogging or walking their dogs, while children and teens played in the swings, slides, or basketball courts.

"It is." The doctor said simply. "It has always been."

"Dinner's ready!" They heard Mrs. Milbourne shout from the ground floor.

"Come, mom doesn't like to wait when it comes to dinner." Laughed Doctor Milbourne and led Jane out the room toward the dinning room in the ground floor.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron sat tiredly on his favorite chair. It was the first time in the long day that he was on his own. He and Harry had spent hours tracking the last hours of the Death Eaters thought to have been the ones who disappeared along with Hermione. They thought that they would have wished to contact somebody the moment they found themselves lost. But so far, that had not been the case and the Death Eaters, along with Hermione, were still missing.

Ron ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. They were running out of ideas and they were still no close to finding Hermione.

He looked around the room. He had spent most of his waking hours away from the apartment, taking his meals at the Burrow and spending most of the days with Harry searching for clues and investigating their case. This was the first time he had sat at the sitting room for more than five minutes without fidgeting and leaving the flat in a hurry. It was still as Hermione left it that fateful morning. Dust had settled on every surface. The people in the pictures along the wall and on top of the mantle waved and smiled from their frames. The doilies and patterned vases Hermione had bought to adorn the side tables, and the mantle, were looking a little dirty. And the flowers she had bought the day before he proposed were still in the vases, looking rather dried and dead now, as he hadn't bothered to throw them away after her disappearance.

He knew the kitchen would be in the same condition, not to mention the fact that a lot of food had remained in the refrigerator and he hadn't opened it since that morning after he had prepared her breakfast. He was sure the food was now spoilt and the interior of the fridge would now smell with the odor of the rotten food.

He sighed heavily as he looked around. He could still sense the presence of Hermione in the room, and it was making it hard for him to imagine she was not there. Everything in the room had been chosen by her when they first moved in together. Every piece of furniture, every picture and drawing and the wall paper that now graced the walls. Everything, had been chosen carefully by her, and in doing so, she had imprinted her presence in every space of the empty apartment.

Ron closed his eyes. He could see her standing before the mantle showing him all the little knickknacks she collected every time she went out shopping. There were always little things that amused her on her trips through the London shops and he had enjoyed their time together as she showed him her purchases telling him exactly where she wanted to place them and why she had bought them. He had never denied her the pleasure of buying anything that took her fancy, even if he thought some of those items were rather ridiculous or useless. Both were being paid well in their respective positions and for the first time in his life he was able not to be bothered about the expense of keeping house with Hermione.

But she wasn't there anymore. It was close to a month since her disappearance and she was no closer to being home than when they first learned about her kidnapping.

The image of Hermione was imprinted in his memory as he had last seen her that morning. "I miss you, Hermione." He whispered in the empty room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jane awoke the next morning with renewed energy. Detective Rivas was due to arrive in a few hours to show her where his friend's store was located and to meet her new employer. She was looking forward to start a new job. She had felt so useless and helpless since she first awoke in the hospital bed, but, with this new job she would be able to take care of her needs without anybody taking pity on her.

She had found that she didn't like to be pitied. She knew everybody was just trying to help, and that they were worried about her, and she was grateful for it. But she felt that the sympathy was rather overwhelming at times, quashing her hopes in the process.

She tied the bathrobe around her and took her small bag where she kept her toiletries on the dresser. Taking the towel hanging on the closet's knob, she opened the door and made her way toward the bathroom.

She could hear Mrs. Milbourne cooking in the kitchen and the voices of other people in the dining room and knew that she would not be bothered for the time being.

She washed her teeth as she waited for the running water in the tub to heat. Once she had cleaned her teeth she opened the glass door on the tub and letting the robe fall from her body, she promptly got into the shower.

The running water was refreshing and hot, just as she liked it. There was so much to look forward to, and she wanted to begin the day of her new life.

She thought about her plans as she showered. Detective Rivas had said that the British Ambassador had contacted him and that it was a matter of time before something was known about her case.

Those were good news for Jane. She was tired of the name given to her by the hospital and the police department. Jane Doe. A name given to any woman of unknown identity. She had a name, she just didn't know what it was at the moment. She knew that the jewelry found with her held some clue, but the initials meant nothing to her and so far she hadn't been able to remember anything about it.

She was tired of being Jane. She wanted to know who she was, what her past held, who her family was, and who her fiancé was. She knew so little of herself, it scared her. How could she have a future if she had no past?

She turned the faucet off and got out of the tub, taking the towel from the rack and drying herself quickly. She wrapped her hair in the damp towel as she belted the robe around her body, and taking her things with her, she quickly left the bathroom and returned to her room.

It didn't take her long to get dressed and dry her hair. She was ready to start the day and she must face it with a smile.

She went down the stairs. She could still hear the male voices in the dining room and Mrs. Milbourne's humming in the kitchen. She was a little shy of appearing in the dining room on her own. She hadn't met the other people renting the extra bedrooms and didn't feel comfortable about being the center of attention. She decided to go to the kitchen instead.

"Good morning." She said walking into the kitchen to find Mrs. Milbourne preparing a plate of toast.

"Oh, good morning. Didn't know you were up yet." Mrs. Milbourne said with a smile. "I've just started to serve breakfast, come along. I bet you're hungry."

Jane smiled and followed her into the dining room.

Three men were waiting around the table. Two were dressed in suits and ties, while the third was dressed in a polo shirt and jeans. They stood up the moment the two women walked into the room.

"Good morning." The three said, looking at Jane with surprise and curiosity.

"I see you've begun to serve yourselves." Mrs. Milbourne said pleasantly. "Here's the toast. I've put the coffee and the orange juice in the side table. Come, Jane, let me introduce you." She turned to the young woman standing shyly behind her. "Boys, this is Jane. She'll be staying here for a while."

"Hello." Said the first man pleasantly, shaking Jane's hand.

"This is Robert. He works for an insurance company." Said Mrs. Milbourne smiling at the man before her.

"Nice meeting you." Said the second man as Jane moved forward.

"This is Nick. He works for a paper company." Mrs. Milbourne said.

"How are you?" Asked the third man as he shook her hand.

"I'm fine. Thank you." Said Jane answering the last question.

"And this is my nephew, Johnny. He's a teacher in the elementary school nearby." Said Mrs. Milbourne kissing her nephew's cheek.

"So, what do you do?" Asked the man Mrs. Milbourne had said his name was Robert as they all sat back down around the table.

"Er - " Jane turned to look at Mrs. Milbourne with a question in her eyes. What should she say? Should she tell them what happened to her?

"Jane here is working with my daughter." Mrs. Milbourne said promptly. "And she'll be working with a police detective for a while."

"Really? What kind of job is it?" Asked one of the other men.

"Well - " Started Jane. She didn't want to make it seem like she was doing something extraordinary. She didn't want to become entangled in lies and deceit that could so easily explode in her face and leave her facing consequences she might not be able to cope with. "We are doing a sort of investigation." She said softly.

Mrs. Milbourne nodded happily. "Yes. That's it." She said. "An investigation. But for now she'll be working at a store for a little while."

The three men looked at Jane full of curiosity. It was plain to see that they were intrigued about the young woman who would now be living under the same roof with them.

Breakfast was a fast paced meal as the men hurried to eat as much as they could in a manner of minutes.

"Must run. Meetings to attend to this morning." Said Nick swallowing his bacon rapidly. "They're a pain, but it's part of work."

"I understand perfectly." Said Robert, sipping his coffee careful not to burn his tongue. "I have a meeting with the administrator of one of our agencies. This man is so boring, he talks and talks, and never says a thing."

Johnny laughed. "That's what I love about working with kids. You're never bored."

"Maybe, but that's not what I remember when I was at school." Said Nick. "One of my teachers was so old, we thought she would die on us any day."

"Oh, really." Said Jane with a laugh. "I don't believe that."

"But it's true." Nick exclaimed. "She was really old! At least to us she seemed old. But I think she was probably in her mid fifties then."

The whole table was laughing in a matter of minutes. But it wasn't long until Nick and Robert ran out the door, hoping that they would miss the morning rush hour.

"I should be getting along as well, Aunt Martha. I'll see you after school." Johnny said, kissing his aunt's cheek. "Bye, Jane." He called as he picked up a box from the living room and made his way out of the house.

"They're really good men, all of them. But they are so busy, they barely have time for any fun." Said Mrs. Milbourne as she started to clean the table.

"Are they all from around here?" Asked Jane, helping Mrs. Nichols with the dishes.

"Johnny is, of course. My sister used to live a block over when he was born, but after she retired, they moved out to the country, they bought a farm there. But when Johnny decided to be a teacher he moved back to the city and has stayed here with me since then. Although he goes down to his parents' farm every weekend. Usually leaves Friday afternoons and returns until Sunday night." Mrs. Milbourne explained. "Nick is from New York, but he comes to here often. Usually every two months, and stays here for a couple of weeks. He calls me every time he's coming to town to see if I have room for him. I'm pleased to say, that I usually do. On those rare occasions when I don't he stays in a hotel nearby and comes to visit me now and then until he leaves again. Robert, I think is from Wisconsin but works in the company's office in Chicago. He comes two times a year, and stays for a month or so. He always books a couple of months ahead of time, so I always have room for him."

"They're regulars, then." Said Jane as they piled the dirty dishes into the sink.

"Yes. Most of those who stay here are. I've been renting rooms for years, so I've developed a list of regular customers." Said Mrs. Milbourne with a smile.

Jane watched as Mrs. Milbourne started pulling out sponges and dish soap. "Oh, let me do that for you." She exclaimed quickly. She would feel a little guilty is she just stood there without doing anything to help.

"Oh, you don't need to. I can do it." Mrs. Milbourne said.

"Nonsense, a little help wouldn't come amiss." Said Jane grabbing the sponge from Mrs. Milbourne hands. "You'll be done sooner if I help, and Detective Rivas won't be here until an hour from now."

"All right. But only the dishes, I can do the rest quite efficiently. I'm not dead yet." Said Mrs. Milbourne.

Jane smiled and soon the two women were cleaning the kitchen diligently.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Detective Rivas parked in front of the large house in the corner of 26th Street. The park on the other side seem calm and empty as a few people walked around it with sticks and bags. It was clear to the detective that they were taking advantage of the fact there were few people to clean the park.

He saw one of the curtains being moved from the front of the house before falling promptly into place. He took his cell phone from the dashboard and opened the door.

It was a sunny day, a perfect fall morning. Detective Rivas looked around with pleasure. He loved the fall, the colors, the warm afternoons and the sunny days.

He walked around the car and stepped up toward the front door. He pressed the doorbell and waited.

A minute later, the door was opened and a small portly woman stood before him.

"Good morning. I'm Detective Rivas." He said to the woman in front of him.

"Oh, yes. Jane should be down in a minute." Said the older woman. "Come in, come in. Do you want something to drink?"

"No thank you, we should be going. I told my friend that we would be there in half an hour." Said Detective Rivas.

"I'm ready." Said Jane from the doorway.

"Good. We'll go then. Nice meeting you, Mrs. Milbourne." Said the detective turning to the older woman. "I'll see you again."

"Bye. Have fun, Jane." She called as the young couple left the house.

Detective Rivas led Jane toward the car. He opened the passenger's door for her before walking around to the other side and climbing into the car.

"The store is not far." The detective said as he turned the ignition key. "But I wanted to show you where the nearest bus stop is and wanted to drive you along the bus route so you'll know what to expect. This bus will take you straight to the mall where the store is located."

"Thank you, that will be helpful." Said Jane as she snapped on the seat belt.

The detective drove around the corner, pointing to the bus shelter in the corner. "That's the bus stop. It passes every twenty minutes or so." He said as they continued down the street. "It should take fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the mall." He continued as he made a left turn. "But I think it might take a little longer once it starts to snow. The winter in here is a beautiful season, but the cold can be hard on some people. Especially if you're not used to it."

"Somehow I think I wouldn't mind the snow." Said Jane with a smile. The past night she had a dream where she walked down a wide street. At both sides were shops and a couple of pubs. The sight was one of wintry perfection and she hoped it was the memory of a known place and not just an image of her imagination.

It wasn't a long drive to the mall Detective Rivas spoke of. It wasn't a big building, but large enough to house two department stores, two shoe stores, a lingerie store, two clothing stores, one novelty store, a restaurant, two fast-food places, a bookstore, a beauty salon, an electronic store, a bank, and a grocery store.

Detective Rivas drove into the parking lot. It was still early and there was enough space near the main entrance. "It's not big." He said as he eased into an empty space. "But the neighborhood is nice and the afternoons and weekends are always busy. There's a club and a bowling alley a couple of blocks from here and the high school is the next block. A lot of teenagers come to hang out here."

"What store is your friend's?" Asked Jane as they climbed out of the car.

"The novelty store. He sells gift items, like frames, candles, dolls, incense, that kind of stuff." Detective Rivas said. "It's not too big, but it has nice stuff and it's very popular with the teens. He started selling cheap makeup and glittery stuff because of that. He has two other employees. Mrs. Grady has been there forever. At least, I think so. And then there's Gina, I don't remember her last name, but she started to work there last year. Oh, I forgot about Cecily. She's his assistant manager, she's usually in charge in the afternoons and weekends. I don't know what hours he'll give you but I suspect you'll see a lot of her." He said with an amused smile.

They had crossed the large glass doors of the main entrance. The lobby was large with a glass dome as a ceiling. A large fountain was placed in the middle with stone benches around it. Next to the fountain was a set of escalators leading to the second floor, where Jane could assume the food court must have been located as several tables and chairs were clearly glimpsed.

Detective Rivas led her to one of the stores nearby. The window showed an assorted group of glass and porcelain figurines below a large sign with the store's name GIFTS FROM THE HEART.

The detective opened the door for Jane. She stepped through to find a cozy and neat store. She looked around. The shelves near the window were full of figurines of all sizes and colors. Next were the shelves with picture frames and bookends. There were some glass stands in the middle, some held jewelry and hair supplies, while others held lip gloss tubes, bottles of bottle glitter and other kinds of make up paraphernalia. There were many shelves along the walls, where dolls, T-shirts and glasses could be seen.

"Manuel! I thought you were coming a little later!" A male voice said from behind the counter.

Jane and Detective Rivas turned toward the voice.

"Hey, David. I told you I was coming at eleven." Said Detective Rivas walking toward his friend to shake his hand.

"Is that the time? I thought it was earlier." Said David.

Jane looked at him closely. He looked to be about the same age as Detective Rivas, but where Detective Rivas looked fit and still young-looking, his friend seemed to be a little less attractive. He had started to loose his hair, but what still remained flowed luxuriously on his shoulders. Both friends seemed to be about the same size and both seemed to be very close friends.

"You didn't come to the party last weekend, the boys were asking about you." David was saying.

"I know, I had a meeting with a colleague, sorry I missed it. How's the gang doing?" Said Detective Rivas.

"They're fine. Mike's still after that girl he told us about, not making much progress." Detective Rivas laughed, but David continued with his report. "Jack and Lynn are still not decided about baby names, and Sean, well, you know how he is."

"I know. Is the next game at Mike's?" Asked Detective Rivas.

"Yeah. You going?" Asked David coming out from behind the counter.

"I'll try." Said Detective Rivas. "This is Jane." He said motioning finally to Jane who had stood back while the friends chatted.

"Hello, Jane. Manuel here has told me everything about you." Said David, walking forward to shake Jane's hand. "I'm David Peters, by the way. How do you like the store?" He said looking around the store with pride.

"It's nice. I see you have a lot of things here." Jane said looking around.

"We do. My mom started it twenty years ago, there wasn't a mall here then, just a group of little stores, but my mom was lucky enough to get the space once the mall was built. We made an especial agreement with the owners then. Now we own this space." David said with a large smile.

"So your mum works here also?" Asked Jane.

"Oh no, she's retired now. She passed it to me five years ago." David said.

"We all knew she would. Of her three kids, David was the only one to show any interest is the store. The only one with a business degree as well." Said Detective Rivas.

"Weren't your siblings a little jealous?" Asked Jane as David motioned them to follow him to a back room.

"No. My older sister is a dentist and my younger brother is in the Marine Corps. They were never really interested in the store. They dreaded working here in the summer and were happy when mom said she would leave it to me." Said David. "Gina?" He called as they entered the back room. There was a young woman sitting in one of the couches reading a book. "Can you return to the counter? I'll let you finish your break once I'm done here."

"Don't worry about it. I only have five minutes left anyways." Said the young woman.

A set of lockers were against the wall. The woman called Gina opened one of them and placed her book inside.

David continued walking toward one of the doors at the back of the room. Jane and Detective Rivas followed and found themselves in a small office. There was a TV monitor in a corner, showing a split screen. The counter area and the whole store were showing. David seemed to be a cautious man. There was a large desk, with a computer and printer at one end and several books and forms. At one corner was a large filing cabinet. Two chairs were placed beside the desk. A round table stood a few yards away from the desk. There were some forms and file folders on it and three chairs around it. Nearby was a copy machine, humming almost silently near the wall. There were wooden cabinets in the wall near the table, and a long shelf underneath with a coffee machine and a toaster oven plugged into the wall. Next to them was a stack of cups and paper plates. A box of cookies and doughnuts stood close by.

"Take a seat around the table. I have here the forms we'll need to fill up before you begin to work." Said David walking toward the doughnuts. "Do you want anything? I have coffee, or tea if you prefer." He said pulling a box of tea bags and a thermos from the cabinet above the shelf.

"I'm fine, thank you." Smiled Jane, she was feeling a little nervous and didn't think she would be able to sip any liquid at the moment.

"I'll take a cup of coffee." Said Detective Rivas leaning back on his chair. "Are those your mother's cookies?" He asked suddenly.

David laughed. "Yes. Want some?" He passed the box to Detective Rivas and a paper plate.

"Thanks. I always loved his mom's cookies." He said smiling at Jane. "Want to try one?"

Jane shook her head. "No, I ate more than I should have this morning." She said.

"Don't tell me you're on a diet. Every woman I know is always on a diet." Said David putting a cup of coffee before Detective Rivas and his before the remaining seat.

"No, I'm not on a diet. I just don't get too hungry sometimes." Laughed Jane.

"Oh good. You'll love Mrs. Grady then. She always brings something for everybody when she comes in. Yesterday she brought this delicious baked chicken, with potatoes and carrots. Really good." Said David.

Detective Rivas laughed with amusement. "I think she knows you're not eating as you should when you're at home."

David grinned but didn't respond to his friend's taunting. "Well, let's start. I need you to fill this form." He said pushing a paper to Jane and a pen. "It's an application form. I just need to have it on file. Then I'll need you to fill this W-4 form, for taxes. And I need you to read this and sign at the bottom, it allows us to check your background in case it's needed." He explained as he pushed each form toward Jane.

Jane filled each form silently and writing neatly. Once she was done, she pushed the forms back to David.

"All right." He said placing each form in one of the file folders he had on the table. "Now, Manuel sent me copies of the hospital statement and the permit from immigration, so that'll work for ID, I talked to my lawyer and he said it was alright. Just wanted to make sure we could do it properly." He said turning to his friend.

"I understand." Said Detective Rivas pleasantly.

"Now, this is a copy of the procedure book." Said David pushing a small booklet to Jane. "You can keep that. It lists all rules and procedures of the store. They're not many, don't worry. And also lists the reasons why you could be fired. All that crap. There's no uniform or dress code really. We just ask our employees to dress properly. Skirts, dresses, jeans, and T-shirts, they're all fine, as long as the skirt and dress are below the knee. Shoes should be closed, no flip-flops or sandals, we don't want you to get hurt if anything falls on your feet. You'll be required to wear a little apron with big pockets so you can carry around tags or price stickers, it'll have your nametag as well."

"Phew, are you sure you said everything you needed to say?" Asked Detective Rivas.

David and Jane laughed.

"That's pretty much it." David finally said. "Everything is in the booklet, so just read it and you'll know what you need to know."

Jane nodded and put the booklet into her purse.

"Come, let me show you around." Said David.

Jane and Detective Rivas left their seats and followed David out of the office. They walked back to the room they had entered before. It was still empty.

"This is the break room." Announced David. "The lockers there are for the employees to lock their things. You just have to bring your own lock and we'll assign one for you." Said David pointing to the lockers standing against one of the walls. "We have a small fridge here, and a microwave, in case you want to bring your own food." He said motioning to the appliances atop a table. "A water cooler, and the coffee maker."

He pointed to the door next to the one leading into the office. "That's the restroom. Only employees can come in here, so if one of the customers wants to know where the restroom is, you'll have to tell them to use the public restrooms in the lobby." He opened the door they had first come through and entered into the store area once more. "That door." He said pointing to a door next to the break room's "Leads to the storage room. It's small, but if we need to stock up on something you'll find it in there."

He opened the storage room's door and flicked the lights on. Jane and Detective Rivas only peeked for a moment, but didn't go in.

"The glass and porcelain figurines and adornments are always by the window. Make up and beauty supplies in the stands around the floor. We have dolls and plush toys, frames and bookends, a magazine area, clocks, candles, bath beads, glass beads, small paintings, T-shirts. Well, you'll get acquainted with the products as time passes." Said David. "I'll train you to use the cash register and to stock. We all do it, we're versatile here."

"That's no problem." Said Jane.

"I'll have you working mid-shift." He said. "Mrs. Grady usually works in the morning and Gina in the afternoon and weekends. Mrs. Grady gets weekends off and Gina gets Mondays and Fridays off. I'll give you Wednesdays and Sundays off. The rest of the week, be here from eleven to five. We're open weekdays from nine to nine, Saturdays from ten to five and Sundays from ten to three. Same hours as the mall."

Jane was listening closely to what David was saying as her eyes swept the items on the shelves with curiosity.

"You get a half-hour break after three hours, you can either remain in the break room or go to the food court. But you also have the choice to remain and call somebody upstairs for an order. They're usually nice about sending the order down as long as they don't have to leave the mall." David continued.

"Not much of a food court." Scoffed Detective Rivas. "Only a McDonald's and a Little Tokyo. You don't get too much choice."

"There's the Italian place at the other end." Said David.

"Again, not much of a choice." Repeated Detective Rivas.

"That's why they can bring their own food." Replied David. "Anyways, it's not your business, you don't even come around here often. She might like Italian food. You like Italian food, don't you, Jane?" Asked David turning to Jane.

"I'm not sure, I think I do." Said Jane.

"See, she likes Italian food." Said David turning back to Detective Rivas.

"She's not sure. And even if she did, she would get bored eating the same thing day after day." Detective Rivas exclaimed.

"That's why Mrs. Grady brings food for everybody." Said David.

Jane looked amused as the two friends bickered with each other, it brought a sense of familiarity and triggered the memory of a small boy. A boy with a big nose and red hair. She frowned in confusion. Who was this boy? And why did it feel that he was an important person in her life? The memory was brief and soon she was focused once more on the people around her.

"I'll see you next weekend, then." Said Detective Rivas shaking David's hand.

"Yeah, remember to bring the beer. It was your turn last time and you didn't come." David laughed. "See you Jane, in two days. Eleven o'clock, remember."

"I won't forget." Smiled Jane. "Thank you."

Jane and Detective Rivas stepped out of the store, waving to David goodbye.

"Want to go home, or are you hungry?" Asked Detective Rivas looking up to the second floor where people were milling around in search for something to eat.

"I'm fine, thank you." Said Jane.

"Alright. I'll have you home in a matter of minutes." Smiled Detective Rivas.

Jane turned to look back at the store they had just been in. There were a few customers looking around while David was talking to the young woman he had called Gina.

"Coming?" She heard Detective Rivas ask.

"Yes." She turned back with a smile. "I'm ready."

Detective Rivas smiled and led her out of the mall.

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A/N: There you go, fourth chapter is up! Now, I think it's time for me to answer your reviews:

Morgandy: I like to take pride in my work, and that includes fanfics, thus, I'm going to try to make it as close to cannon as I can.

Urhallucinating: Don't worry about Hermione, she's a smart girl. And thank you!

Niem: You can certainly use the disclaimer if you want, I used a friend's as an example after all. And I hope you continue to love it!

Cutehelenjames: Ron and Hermione certainly have a rocky road ahead of them, and I'm hoping you all are going to like tagging along for the ride.

Kitty Nikki Chow: Thank you!

Alexalili: I promise I'll try to finish it before I try to give up on it. And I'm just writing the 16th chapter in I can certainly say that I have 1/3 or ¼ close to finishing it, we'll see I don't have the final chapters outlined yet. Now, Jane Doe is a name police give to people that they can't identify. For example, if a body is found in the street and no id is available, they usually assign the name Jane Doe until somebody identifies the body. John Doe is the male counterpart. If you want a detailed explanation to what a rape kit is you can go to my web page (look at my profile for a link to it) and email me, I'll try to explain it to you. In general terms, Hermione took a shower, any fluids found in her body when she woke up would not be found when she was examined later.

I hope all your questions were answered in this chapter, thank you again for your reviews, and those of you who have just read but haven't reviewed, thank you for reading. I'll update as soon as I have the next chapter ready. I'm sorry for any grammar and spelling error you may find, I still don't have a beta for this story and I tend to disregard grammar and spelling errors sometimes. Hope to hear from you soon.

Alexa


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so happy about the reception this story had among the RW/HG readers in this site. The story is two thirds done in and I'm really looking forward to editing the rest of the chapters for your pleasure. 833 hits by the time I began editing this chapter!

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_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

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**_Chapter 5 - Borrowed Life_**

Jane was excited. It was her first day at her new job and she was looking forward to learn new things and meet new people. She had felt so trapped since she was found in an alley a month before. Even though she had been surrounded by people and had managed to make a few friends, there were times when she felt lonely and wanted to get out and have a life outside the four walls she had been living in.

Now she was about to have that chance, and she was determined to enjoy every minute of it.

As usual, she waited until after everybody was down before she got into the bathroom, then she would climb down the stairs and join the rest of the household for breakfast.

As always, Nick and Robert were dressed in business suits while Johnny dressed in more casual clothes. Mrs. Milbourne always waited until Jane was downstairs to start eating herself and keep her company. They all talked and laughed and exchanged stories about clients or coworkers before the three men left to their respective jobs.

After they left, Jane and Mrs. Milbourne cleaned the table, as always. Jane washed the dishes as Mrs. Milbourne put the table in order before starting to clean the kitchen.

This morning, instead of returning to her bedroom, Jane walked to the living room, where her purse and sweater awaited her.

"I'm leaving, Mrs. Milbourne." She said. "I know it's still a bit early, but I wanted to look around the mall for little while."

"Alright, Jane. Be careful. You have the bus pass Marilyn sent for you?" Mrs. Milbourne called from the kitchen.

"I do. I'll see you later, Mrs. Milbourne." Jane called back.

"Bye, Jane. Good luck." Jane heard Mrs. Milbourne say as she closed the front door behind her.

She hurried to the bus shelter Detective Rivas had shown her. She still had one more hour until she needed to be at the store, and she would probably arrive at the mall in less than half an hour. That would give her enough time to look around. She hadn't been anywhere else since she had left her bed in the hospital, and she wanted to see more of the only place she knew how to get to. Maybe in time she would be able to see more of the city she had found herself in.

She didn't have long to wait. The bus stopped at the bus shelter five minutes after she had arrived. She pushed the bus pass Dr. Milbourne had given her into the appropriate slot and took a seat near the door. She looked out the window as the bus went on its way. Looking out to the houses and businesses along the street, and the many people walking back and forth on the sidewalks.

Jane found that it didn't take long to get to the mall. She was climbing down the bus fifteen minutes later in the bus stop in front of the mall.

She entered through the side entrance and quickly found herself in the lobby of the small shopping center. There were a few people shopping and a few others sitting on the stone benches around the fountain.

Jane smiled. She looked around the shops nearby. There was a beauty salon on one side and a shoe store in the other. She stood in front of the window to the shoe store, where sandals and dress shoes were displayed to the public. Jane didn't think they looked very comfortable and decided to look at the rest of the stores.

Next to the shoe store was a bookstore. The books displayed in the window quickly grabbed her attention. There was an autobiography that had just come out. A fictional book, which showed a monster with claws and large teeth on the cover, was piled next to the autobiography.

Jane looked at the rest of the books through the window, feeling a sort of hunger that she couldn't explain. The sight of the bookcases with books stacked in each seemed to call her, she didn't know why, but she gave in to the call. Jane quickly stepped into the store and a wave of happiness seemed to rush through her at the sight of the many books displayed through the store.

She spent the next minutes walking through the books set along the window and before the cash registers. Many displayed signs that said '50 off' or 'New Arrivals'. She lost herself looking at each title stroking the covers hungrily. How much she wished she had some money in her purse to buy at least one book.

The sound of the cash register made her look up. A young woman was standing in front of the cashier, with a little boy grasping her hand tightly. The boy was jumping and asking for the book as the cashier put the book in a plastic bag.

"Can I have it now, mom?" Asked the little boy.

"Here. You can carry it." The woman said. "Thank you." She said to the cashier and hurried the boy out of the store.

Jane smiled. It was nice to see young children eager to read a book. Her glance passed by the clock behind the cash register and was surprised. She had only five minutes left to make her way to David's store.

She hurried out the store and past the fountain to the other side of the mall where the little novelty store was located.

David was behind the cash register while an older lady was seen dusting the figurines and arranging them in front of the display window.

"Hello." She said breathlessly as she tried to catch her breath.

"Oh, hi Jane. You're just in time." Smiled David. "That's Mrs. Grady with the figurines."

"Hello." Jane nodded pleasantly to the older woman.

"Hi. David was just telling me we had a new person starting today." Mrs. Grady said with a smile.

"Why don't I take you to the break room where you could leave your things." Said David. "Mrs. G, take over the register, would you?"

"Sure thing." Mrs. Grady called as David led Jane toward the break room.

In the break room, David assigned a locker to Jane. She promptly placed her sweater and purse in it and put a lock on the door.

"You must wear this." David said, giving her an apron. "It has your name on it, see." He said pointing to the name embroidered in the apron.

Jane smiled and promptly put it on. It was red, with large pockets below the waist. Inside one of the pockets she found a small notebook and a pencil. On the other pocket was a stack of little round stickers and a marker.

"The notebook is for you to make notes. There's always something that customers want or are looking for and we don't have it. That way you can just make notes and when we make the order we can see if we can get some for the store. The stickers are to put prices on the shelves. Sometimes we have sales, so we use special signs for that." David explained. "I'll put you to work with Mrs. Grady. She agreed to train you in the register until it's time for her to leave. Ready?"

"I think so." Jane said feeling a little nervous. She wished to do well at this job, she didn't want to let Detective Rivas and the Milbournes down. They had done so much for her, she wished to do this for them.

David led her back to the sales room. A couple of ladies were standing by the figurines looking them over.

"It's the middle of the week, so we don't get too many people in." David said. "But once the weekend gets here we'll see a lot more people."

Jane nodded pleasantly but didn't reply. She felt little butterflies flying in her stomach. What if she forgot everything they taught her? What if she couldn't perform as well as she wished? But there was no hope for it. She just had to do the best she could and put all her effort into what she was asked to do.

David turned her over to Mrs. Grady.

Jane found that Mrs. Grady enjoyed her work. She had been working in the store for fifteen years. Ten under Mrs. Peters and five under David. She had become a part of their family and had funny stories to tell about a younger David.

"This is the scanner." Mrs. Grady explained as she held a gun-shaped item in her hand. "Just press this little button here and it'll scan the item you want to ring up. If the item doesn't scan, and I warn you it happens a lot, then you type the number in the tag on the keyboard. The item description should appear in the monitor. To get the total just press the enter key. It's going to ask for the tender type. If they pay with cash, you press the cash key. If they pay with check, you press the check key and slide the check in this slot, the computer has to approve it before the receipt prints out. If they pay with credit card, just press the credit card key and slide the card in this other slot after you've checked their ID. Wait for it to be approved and two receipts will print out, one has a line at the bottom, make sure the customer signs it. You keep that copy and the other one goes to the customer." Mrs. Grady pointed to each key on the keyboard and each slot by the monitor as she explained.

"When a customer comes to return something, just make sure that they have a receipt. No receipt, no return. Then press this little button under the counter, that'll make a little bell ring to let the managers know that they're needed here. They take care of the returns and exchanges, so you don't have to worry about it, just ask for the receipt." Mrs. Grady continued.

"If we're not busy at the register then we work around the displays. Clean the items in the window. They should always look clean and presentable. Same thing goes to the things around the counter. If they need to be stocked, make sure that you bring out the boxes from the stock room before you come out to the register. That way you can price items without moving away from the register. You should always be in sight of customers. Work around the display tables and racks around the store too. Pick items from the floor, you will not believe how many things find their way to the floor during the day. There are always things that need to be put back in their place, just collect them and put them back where they belong. Some times, things are opened or damaged. There's a box under the counter, just put them in there and it'll be taken back to the stock room at the end of the day. The managers need to make a damage report on those items for their bookkeeping."

Jane was told everything she needed to know in less than an hour. She was shown how to price items, how to scan the items for a sale, how to scan items for price check. She was shown around the store and told that with time she would learn where everything was located so that she can direct customers around the store when they searched for a specific item. And by the end of the hour she was allowed to work on one of the register (under the supervision of Mrs. Grady, of course) and take care of the few customers that came into the store.

By the time she was told to take her first break, she was feeling a lot more confident and happy to have found a position in the store.

She had already been in the store for two hours, but it had felt to Jane like she had been there for minutes.

She was sitting in the break room, eating one of the homemade muffins Mrs. Grady had brought in that morning, when the door opened and a blond, tall woman came into the room. She looked to be about the same age as David, she was dressed conservatively and her hair was held in a tight bun.

"Who are you?" She asked when she caught sight of Jane.

"I'm – "

Jane was interrupted by the appearance of David from the office.

"Oh, hello Cecily." He said with his usual smile. "I see you've met Jane. She's working the mid-shift."

"I see." Cecily said slowly. "I thought I was doing the interviews for new employees." She said quietly.

David shrugged. "My friend said she needed the work and I was here so I interviewed her." He said. "There was no need for formality. Besides you were on your day off and I didn't see a reason for delay."

"If you say so." Cecily said, but Jane could see that she was not too happy about it and it worried her a bit. Would she make things difficult for her because of this?

"Jane, Cecily here is my afternoon manager." David explained. "So you'll see her often during your shifts."

"Nice to meet you." Said Jane pleasantly.

"You too." Replied Cecily coldly. "I'll get settled." She said turning to David and without another word went into the office.

"Don't mind her." David said quietly after Cecily had closed the door behind her. "She's always like that. Not too friendly, but she's a good manager and knows more about the ordering process than I do."

"That's alright." Said Jane. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Just let me know if you have any problems." Said David.

Jane nodded and watched as David made his way out to the sales floor. She turned to look at the office's closed door. She could hear movement within and the sound of chairs scraping around the floor. Mrs. Grady had mentioned Cecily while she was trained. It seemed that the afternoon manager was not well liked by the employees and many had left the mid shift position because of her. But Jane was determined to stay and she wouldn't let the woman's coldness drive her out of working in the store.

The fifteen minutes of her break were over and Jane left the break room to join Mrs. Grady behind the counter.

"You met the Ice Queen, didn't you?" Mrs. Grady asked the minute Jane had joined her.

"Cecily? I met her when she came into the break room." Said Jane assuming that Mrs. Grady was talking about the afternoon manager.

"Don't let her get to you. She can be hard to work with, but as long as you don't let her fits bother you you'll be fine." Mrs. Grady said patting Jane's hands comfortingly.

"Why is she like that?" Asked Jane curiously.

"I think it's because she immersed herself into her career that now she's bitter that she has no life. Now she has her eyes in the store." Mrs. Grady said thoughtfully.

"But David wouldn't sell, would he?" Jane asked.

"No, he likes it too much and he's doing quite well. He's even thinking about opening another in a new mall in another city. Cecily wants to be the Store Manager there. But I think she'd love it if she could be in charge of both stores, but she knows the only way she'll get her way is if she marries David. She flirts outrageously with him when she thinks there's nobody around. I think that's another reason why she wants the store to run smoothly under her charge, she wants to become indispensable to David. But he's too wily for her." Said Mrs. Grady pleased. "He knows what she wants and ignores her. The only thing is that it makes her work harder to get his attention."

Jane couldn't imagine David married to the cold woman she had just met. She didn't look like the type of woman David would like to settle down with, he seemed so friendly and energetic. Cecily would only try to control him and his life. And she didn't think David would be too happy about that.

Mrs. Grady had stopped talking about the assistant manager as the subject of their discussion was coming their way.

"Have you taken your second break, Mrs. Grady?" Cecily asked as she neared the counter.

"No, I was waiting for Jane to return from hers." Said Mrs. Grady.

"Well, she's here now, you can go." Said Cecily.

Mrs. Grady turned to look at Jane and rolled her eyes. "I'll be right back." She said and quickly walked to the break room.

Cecily didn't move. She remained before the register watching Jane arrange the items displayed around the counter.

"So how did you manage to get this job?" Cecily asked suddenly.

Jane looked at her with surprise. "What do you mean?"

Cecily's expression remained cold. "How was it that David decided to hire you on the spot instead of waiting for me to do the interview?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask David that, I suppose." Said Jane calmly.

"I see. You're not from around here." Cecily said.

"No." Said Jane.

Cecily seemed to be waiting for more, but Jane really didn't know what she expected her to say.

"I'm from Europe." Jane finally said.

"I had guessed that." Cecily said.

Jane continued to arrange the little items around the counter. She wasn't sure she liked this woman. She had never seen her before and yet, Cecily seemed to have taken her in dislike.

Cecily seemed to want to continue with her questions but David was just walking back into the store.

"I'm back." He said with a smile. "Just went to get a little something." He showed them the fast food bag clasped in his hand.

Cecily smiled. Jane was surprised about that smile and knew that Mrs. Grady had been right about Cecily's objective. And David clearly knew it as he quickly looked away from Cecily and turned to Jane.

"So Jane." He said rather quickly not noticing the cold glance Cecily turned to Jane. "How's your first day so far?"

"Fine. Mrs. Grady has been really helpful." Jane said with a smile.

"Good. Once Gina gets here, I'll have her show you how to stock." Said David.

"I can do that." Offered Cecily.

"Oh, I know you can, but I thought it would be best if the others train her. That'll keep them all busy for the afternoon. I want to start with the order." David said.

"The order is not done until Friday." Cecily reminded him. "We still have two days to work on it."

"I know, but I want to start now in case something else comes up." David said.

"If you want." Cecily replied.

Mrs. Grady was returning from her break.

"Let's go then. I have a list of things I thought we should try." David was saying.

With a last glance to Jane, Cecily followed him to the office.

"What did she say?" Asked Mrs. Grady the minute she came to the counter.

"Not much, just that she noticed I was from Europe." Jane said with a shrug.

"She feels threatened when a new girl comes in, you know." Said Mrs. Grady. "That's why she took over the interviewing for the past year. She doesn't want any new girl to catch David's eye."

"But she can't really control that." Said Jane. "When there's an attraction between two people, it just happens, doesn't matter what they look like."

"If course it doesn't matter, and David it's an outgoing guy. He likes to go out with his friends and meet people. There's no need for him to stay in here to meet women. But I think she doesn't want to think about that and she wants to control the choice of people working here." Mrs. Grady commented.

"Was Gina hired by her?" Asked Jane, wondering about the other girl who worked in the store.

"No, she was here before Cecily started a year and half ago. Gina was just finishing High School when she began working here. That was three years ago." Mrs. Grady said. "We had another girl working mid-shift then, but she got pregnant and decided to stay at home with her baby."

"David didn't hire anybody since then?" Asked Jane.

"Cecily did. It was a total disaster. She hired this girl who looked decent enough but turned out to be a drug addict and stole money from the register. Didn't last long. Everybody she hired was a total disaster. One was always late, another didn't come in if she didn't feel like it. There was another that just wanted to flirt with every man in sight, Cecily got rid of her quickly enough. I've lost count of the many people who've had that position." Mrs. Grady said.

"Is that why she's not happy about David hiring me?" Asked Jane.

"Could be. It could also be that she thinks David is more likely to like you more than he likes her. She's very jealous." Mrs. Grady said. "The only reason she doesn't mind me and Gina is because I'm too old for him, and Gina is too young."

"While I'm about the right age." Said Jane understanding what Mrs. Grady was trying to say.

"Exactly. She'll feel more threatened by you than anybody else and the fact that he was the one to hire you will not sit well with her." Mrs. Grady said. "I'd keep my eyes open if I were you."

"Do you think she'll try to make trouble for me?" Jane asked worried.

"Nothing obvious. She'll keep an eye on you and she'll notice every single mistake you make until you do something that can give her the leverage she needs to fire you. But she knows she'll need David's support in that, he'll never allow her to fire you just because of a little mistake, it would have to be something really bad for him to agree to fire you. And she knows that, or she'll lose the trust David has in her." Mrs. Grady said.

Jane still looked a little troubled by what Mrs. Grady had said.

"Don't worry." Mrs. Grady said taking pity on her new friend. "As long as you do your job and don't steal anything, you're fine."

"I wouldn't do that." Exclaimed Jane.

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Just come in to work on time, come when you're scheduled and do what needs to be done, and you'll do fine." Mrs. Grady said.

Jane nodded, but she was still worried about Cecily. She knew that she had nothing to worry about when it came to David. He was just a nice person who had given her a chance because of his close friendship with Detective Rivas. But a jealous woman could be trouble.

The thought depressed her a little. She wished she could call her mother or a close friend and talk to them about it. She wanted advise and even though she knew that Mrs. Milbourne would be more than willing to do so, she wished it was her own mother who would do it.

The bell above the store door twinkled. A young woman came into the store. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a pink T-shirt. A backpack was hanging on her back.

"Hello Mrs. G." She called on her way to the break room.

"Hello Gina, don't take too long in there, there's somebody here that I want you to meet." Called Mrs. Grady.

"Okay!" Gina called back.

It didn't take more than five minutes for Gina to return to the sales floor.

"Here I am." She said with a smile as she neared the counter.

"Gina, this is Jane. She's working the mid-shift from now on." Mrs. Grady said motioning to Jane, who was standing beside her behind the counter.

"Oh, hello." Said Gina. "Did Cecily hire you? I didn't know she had interviewed anybody."

"She didn't." Said Mrs. Grady. "David did."

"Ooh, I bet the Ice Queen didn't like that at all." Chuckled Gina.

"She didn't." Said Jane with a smile. "But I don't think David minded much."

"Oh, he never pays her much attention. Besides, this is his store, he can hire whoever he wants." Said Gina.

"Exactly." Exclaimed Mrs. Grady. "Well, if Gina is here, I guess it's time for me to go."

"All right. Just be careful. Cecily is in the office and didn't sound very happy with David." Gina warned.

"I know how to handle her." Mrs. Grady said with a shrug.

Jane watched her go to the break room. "Does she really?" She asked to Gina.

"Really, what?" Asked Gina.

"Knows how to deal with Cecily?" Said Jane.

"Oh yes. David is rather fond of Mrs. G. and she's a great friend of Mrs. Peters. Cecily would never dare fire her without David's knowledge. She can kiss her job goodbye if she does, not to mention the fact that she would never be David's wife." Gina said.

Jane nodded. Mrs. Grady seemed like a motherly sort of woman, a bit older than Mrs. Milbourne, but, with the same energy of the younger woman. Jane felt comfortable with her, and was sure that they would be good friends in a matter of time.

"So, where are you from, you don't sound to be from around here." Said Gina.

"No. I'm from Europe." Jane said quietly, she had just met these people, she didn't feel comfortable enough to tell them the truth about her circumstances. The only one who knew was David, but that was because Detective Rivas had told him about her.

"I always wanted to go to Europe. I'd like to visit some day." Gina said. "I've heard it has beautiful sights."

"Yes. I suppose it does." Said Jane, saddened that she couldn't really say much of her home to this young woman.

"You've moved here to stay permanently?" Asked Gina as she counted the money in the register and made notes of the quantities on a form in the drawer.

"For the nonce." Jane said. "I might stay only for a few months."

"Oh, well, I suppose you want to return home to your family and friends." Gina said.

"Yes. I do." Said Jane with a sigh.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was sitting at his mother's table as Mrs. Weasley stood by the counter summoning the things she needed to prepare dinner.

"I don't understand mother. We've gone through every piece of evidence carefully, we've even found the trail of the Death Eaters last seen with her. But she's still nowhere to be found." Ron was saying.

"Did you find them? The Death Eaters?" Asked Mrs. Weasley distracted from her preparations.

"Shacklebolt has taken them into custody." Said Ron. "But they were hit by a memory charm, they don't remember what happened that day."

"Oh, dear. What will they do?" Asked Mrs. Weasley.

"They're at the special holding ward in St. Mungos. They'll treat them. For the moment we can only wait." Ron sounded tired.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her son sadly. He and Harry had been traipsing all over England looking for Hermione or for clues of her whereabouts. So far, they hadn't succeeded. And it was taking a toll on their bodies as well as their spirits. Ronald has been so quiet, she thought. She could remember perfectly how he had been as a youngster. He had been boisterous and active, always trying to keep up with his older brothers, no matter how dangerous those activities could be. And he had been just the same when he started Hogwarts. His relationship with Harry and Hermione had strengthened during the years of constant dangers, but they had survived them and their friendships had remained strong. She had been so happy when Hermione and Ron's relationship changed to a more intimate level. She had been worried a little that if things didn't go as well as they hoped their friendship would not survive. But things had gone well, and when she had received Ron's owl that awful day telling her of their engagement she had been in alt. She had loved Hermione like a daughter for years, now, she would become a part of their family through her son.

She should have known that things wouldn't be so easy. It never was. Especially if you were the best friend of The Boy Who Lived. She knew that Harry blamed himself for what had happened to Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley had been surprised that Ron hadn't come to the same conclusion. Instead, both young men had become closer as they tried to find a way to help the remaining member of their close-knit group.

"We're running out of time." Ron said. "We return to duty next week, and we won't be able to continue searching." He sighed. "I thought we would have something by now."

"I know, dear." Said Mrs. Weasley. "But I'm sure the Muggle Relations Office will have something soon. They have been looking internationally, something is bound to be found."

"I suppose. But it's taking too long." Exclaimed Ron. "They should have something by now."

"We must be patient, dear." Mrs. Weasley said knowing that the statement was not enough for her son. "There must be someone out there that can help."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I'm beginning to think it is impossible. There should be someone out there that can help." Exclaimed Detective Rivas.

Doctor Milbourne had invited the detective to her office, hoping that he could tell her something about Jane's case.

"I'm sure there is. What did the British Ambassador say?" Doctor Milbourne asked.

"He sent word to the Ministry in London to see if they can relay it to the police. If she's missing, they should have a record of her." Detective Rivas reported.

"It's been more than a month. Do you think they will be of help?" Asked the Doctor. She hoped that this action would help them to find Jane's family.

"It's the only thing I can think of doing. We'll know something soon enough." Detective Rivas replied. "I don't know how the police work in London, so I can't really say what will happen once they get the wire."

"You would think that with all the technology that exists now we would've known anything by now." Said Doctor Milbourne looking at the screen of her computer.

"Technology can't take the place of human labor sometimes." Said Detective Rivas. "We still rely on our instincts and knowledge to do the things that we do."

"I suppose. I just wish that we knew anything about Jane. She doesn't complain, but I know she's feeling homesick, even if she doesn't know where home is." The doctor said.

"David says that she's doing well in the store. She's still silent, and perhaps a little shy. But Mrs. Grady and Gina had been great with her, and Cecily hasn't complained about her work." Detective Rivas said as he thought over what his friend had told him when he had seen him during the weekend.

"I'm glad. Mom says she's happier since she started working." Doctor Milbourne said. "But unfortunately, she hasn't shown any recovery of her memory."

"It's taking too long. Are you sure she'll remember her past?" Detective Rivas asked with some worry.

"The experts say that she will." Said the doctor. "It might take some time. The problem is that there's nothing here that is familiar to her. We need to find her family, her friends, they're the ones that can help in her recovery."

Detective Rivas sighed with exasperation. "Well, that's going to take time. Until I get word from London, I won't know if we can find her family and friends."

"We just have to hope that we'll find them." The doctor prayed.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jane was enjoying her day off. She had been working hard on the past couple of weeks and she had received her first check the day before. Now she was planning to spend some of that money buying gifts for those who had helped her in the past month.

Nick had offered her a ride to Downtown, where most of the prestigious and popular stores could be found and showed her where she could get the bus back to Mrs. Milboutne's house, in case she was done before his scheduled meetings were over, Robert had lent her his cell phone to contact Nick or to call home if she needed help as he was staying home that morning because he had a slight fever and Mrs. Milbourne had convinced him to stay home from work.

Jane enjoyed the sights. Streets lined up with stores at both sides for miles. Some were small, others were rather large. She went into every one of them. Some were rather expensive and she just looked around, but in others she found some items that she could easily afford and could give to her friends happily.

At noon, she took a break from her shopping and searched for something to eat. She found a large food court in one of the buildings where she decided she would take her lunch. She bought herself a bowl of spaghetti and a medium glass of fruit juice. She found an empty table and sat to enjoy her meal.

She watched people come and go as she ate. People in suits walked by, as did some mothers with children tagging along. Some carried suitcases and others carried shopping bags. The food court was full of people as everybody came in search for something to eat.

It didn't take her long to finish her meal, and after throwing away her trash, she decided to go around looking if she could find something for herself. She had bought things for everybody but herself and she felt she deserved a little something as well.

She was just stepping off the escalator when a store caught her sight. It was a bookstore. Books were prominently displayed around the windows and she could see rows and rows of shelved books around the store. With a smile, she went inside.

There weren't many customers around but she could see the workers everywhere. Two were behind the counter, while another was changing the books displayed in one of the windows. She could see another walking around with a cart putting books back into the shelves, while another stood by a counter opening boxes and checking lists before her.

Jane walked the aisles happily. The sight of the books made her want to take them all, but that was impossible. For now, all she could do was look for one that she could take home with her.

Psychology, Romance, the Classics, Fiction, what could she buy? She didn't know, but by the time she had decided on a book on the History of England, two hours had passed and Nick would soon be leaving for home.

Jane hurried to the lobby of the building Nick had pointed out to her earlier that morning. He had told her that he would be meeting there the whole day and that he would search for her in the lobby at the end of the day if she wanted a ride home instead of going in the bus.

Jane didn't have to wait for long for Nick.

"How was your day?" He asked as they walked toward the parking lot where he had left his car that morning. "I see your shopping went well."

"It did." Smiled Jane happily.

The parking lot wasn't far from the building, but the throng of people walking around in search for their own vehicles hampered their process.

"This is the time of day I hate about working downtown." Complained Nick as they waited at the corner to cross the street. "It gets so crowded that it's hard to walk on the sidewalks. You have to get here early enough if you don't want to be late."

"But you don't come very early." Said Jane as the lights changed and they could cross the street safely.

"I don't work here permanently." Said Nick as they walked into the parking lot. "But when I'm in New York I have to be up very early if I don't want to lose my parking spot and get to the office in time."

Jane could understand Nick frustration a few minutes later when they had just traveled a few meters out of the parking lot and they didn't seem to be making any progress through the congested streets.

"Is it always like this?" Jane asked as she watched a police officer trying to keep the traffic moving.

"Yes. During the weekdays at least. Weekends it's usually for shoppers and tourists. But Sundays everything is closed and there's nothing to do." Nick explained as the police officer motioned him to drive forward.

It took them several minutes later to leave Downtown behind and to make a more fortuitous progress through the freeway on their way home.

Nick sighed with relief as they parked in front of Mrs. Milbourne's house.

Jane giggled. "Glad to be home?"

"You can say that again." Smiled Nick.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron wasn't surprised to be called to Shackelbolt's office along with Harry on their first day back in the office. They had spent a few days in the records hall becoming acquainted with the last cases and it was the first time in a week that they had sat at their desk after Shackelbolt had made them take a break.

"What do you have for us?" Harry asked as they entered the office, thinking that he had a new case for them.

"Sit down, there's something I want to show you." Said Shackelbolt.

Ron and Harry shared a quick glance before sitting in front of the large desk.

"I've just had a visit from the Head of the Police Liaison Office. He tells me the British Ambassador in the United States just sent a wire about a missing person case. The Office have gotten hold of the case. Among the documents sent in the wire was this sketch." Shackelbolt pushed a drawing toward the two young men.

Ron stiffened in his chair before looking up to his superior.

"It looks like Hermione." He whispered.

* * *

A/N: There you go, a new chapter for you. I truly appreciate all your reviews, I'm looking forward to know what you all think of this new chapter. I know many don't like when I end the chapters in such a way, but I guess there isn't really a better way for me to begin a new chapter. You'll get used to it. ; ) lol! Thank you again for all your reviews, and your good wishes.

Alexa


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello! Sorry I didn't upload this chapter sooner, but I got distracted by other things. Before I start with this chapter I just want to say to all of those who where affected by Katrina, that you are in my prayers and I hope that things get better for you.

_

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

_**Chapter 6 Finding Hermione**_

Shackelbolt looked at the two young men in silence. Harry was studying the drawing in silence, but Ron had looked away and looked quietly at the corner of the room without saying a word.

"It does look like her." Harry finally said. "But the drawing is not too clear and some areas are a little smudged. A photo would be better."

Shackelbolt nodded and reached for the drawing. "The Police Liaison Office will take care of the matter. They're getting in contact with the detective in charge of the case in America. A detective called – " he looked at the papers set before him. "Manuel Rivas." He read. "He's been in charge of the case from the moment she was found. According to the wire, she was found unconscious in an alley six weeks ago. She was unconscious for more than a week before she finally regained consciousness, but the injuries she sustained damaged her memory. There were no papers found with her, nothing that could identify her. The only thing that could lead to some clue to her identity is her accent, she has a British accent. The Immigration Office has no record of her showing how she entered the country, that's why the detective contacted the Embassy in Washington D.C. in the hopes that something would come of it."

Ron had remained silent as Shackelbolt explained about the case. The thought that Hermione could be soon found was overwhelming, but at the same time, he was afraid to get his hopes up since it could easily be another person.

"I'm just telling you this, because I know how worried you've been." Shackelbolt said peering closely into the silent countenances of the young men. "It will be a matter of time until we have more information on this case. The Police Liaison Office will gather the information needed to confirm the identity of this Jane Doe."

"And if it is Hermione?" Asked Ron abruptly.

"Then we'll have to go get her, won't we." Said Shackebolt. "For the nonce, I want you two to stay put. Don't go anywhere, I want you here in the office every morning. It's best if you don't say anything about this to the others, we don't want to get any more hopes up."

Ron and Harry nodded and quickly left the office a few seconds later.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jane was placing some new merchandise on the back shelves. Mrs. Grady still had one more hour to go before she had to leave for the day and Gina was due to arrive any minute. Cecily had come in a few minutes ago and had remained in the sales floor. Jane knew Cecily was there to keep an eye on her.

Cecily had kept close to Jane from the first day they met. Jane didn't complain, so far, nothing had happened to give Cecily any reason to make trouble for her and knew that she would think twice before doing something that would make her look bad in front of David. Jane felt safe.

Mrs. Grady and Gina had become good friends of hers, and had helped her as she tried to find her way around the store.

On this day, a new shipment of ornaments had arrived. Christmas was a couple of months away and they had to start making room for the winter display that would soon be decorating one of the windows. Jane had been asked to move some of the merchandise from the window and make room for it on the shelves along with the new merchandise that had just been shipped.

Jane didn't mind doing the stocking. She enjoyed cleaning out the shelves, and organizing everything to make room for all the merchandise. The little price tags placed on the shelves also needed to be moved, and changed before the shelf was left alone until the next time a new item needed to be placed.

Jane was dusting a crystal figurine when she heard David's voice telling Cecily that he needed to leave for a couple of hours. Cecily's voice was sweet and husky as she told him not to worry about the store.

Jane didn't turn to look at them. She knew that Cecily would be smiling sweetly at him as he said goodbye. And she also knew that David would only smile and say goodbye to everybody without paying much attention to Cecily's machinations.

"Jane, clean this counter, it should be neat at all times." Snapped Cecily soon after David's departure.

The sound of the break room's door slamming shut startled Jane. The crystal figurine she was holding in her hand slipped through her fingers and fell on the floor. Jane watched in horror as the delicate ornament broke into tiny pieces at her feet. "Oh dear!" She sighed.

Mrs. Grady's voice came from the counter. "Are you alright, Jane? I'll get the broom for you."

"Thanks." Said Jane as she kneeled before the shattered crystal. She knew Cecily would have something to say about this. She criticized every little thing Jane ever did, from stocking to the way she packed customers' purchases into the plastic bags. She knew David would never allow her to be fired because of a broken item, but that didn't mean Cecily wouldn't take advantage of the small incident to criticize her one more time.

She started to pick up the larger pieces carefully, she heard a couple of customers come into the store. She turned to look at them, saw them look at some of the figurines in front of the window before leaving the store after a few seconds. When she turned to look at the pieces of crystal in her hand she was surprised the find the figurine whole in her hand. No pieces of shattered glass were found around her feet, no cracks or scratches were found on the surface of the figurine. The item was just as it had been before it fell to the floor.

Jane stood looking at the crystal figurine in wonder. She was sure the item had fallen and broken, how could it possibly be whole again? Was she dreaming? Was the whole thing a dream?

She heard somebody come up from behind her.

"Here's the broom, Jane, I – " Mrs. Grady had gone to the break room for the broom, now stood looking at the glass figurine in Jane's hand. "Oh, it didn't break. Well, we don't need this then. I'll take it back to the break room. Keep an eye on the store, will you?"

Jane heard Mrs. Grady go back to the break room. She looked down at the glass figurine. What had happened?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Detective Rivas was ecstatic. He had just heard from the Police Department in London asking for further information on Jane's case. He hoped this meant something had matched from their records and they would soon have the mystery of Jane's identity solved.

He was driving toward Mrs. Milbourne's house. He had called Doctor Milbourne at the hospital and had been told that she was spending the afternoon with her mother. Good, Detective Rivas had thought, it would save him a trip and he could meet with both, the doctor and Jane.

He parked a few feet from the front door of Mrs. Milbourne's house. He easily recognized the car that Doctor Milbourne drove. He hurried to the front door and rang the bell, and stood waiting patiently for his call to be answered.

The door opened promptly. Doctor Milbourne was at the other side.

"Detective Rivas?" She asked in surprise as she took a close look to the man in front of her. "This is a surprise, did anything happen?"

"Hello Doctor. I just wanted to speak with you and Jane." He assured her. "It's not bad."

"Why don't you come in? Jane isn't here yet, she should be coming back from the store at any minute." The doctor said as she motioned him to enter.

"Thanks." Said Detective Rivas entering the house.

The house looked as it had on the last time he had been there. The porch led into the dining room, at one side was the living room. Large windows ran along the side walls of the dining and living rooms. A smaller window in the living room faced the street, below it was a grand piano with music sheets propped against a stand beside it. The couches were comfortable and fashionable, as was the table and the chairs in the dining room. A small door on the far wall of the living room led to the kitchen while another beside it led to the stairs toward the second floor.

"Well, hello Detective Rivas." Exclaimed Mrs. Milbourne as she walked through the door from the kitchen and noticing their unexpected guest.

"How are you, Mrs. Milbourne?" Greeted Detective Rivas.

"Very well, thanks. Why don't you sit in the living room, do you want something to drink?" Mrs. Milbourne asked like any good hostess.

"Nothing at the moment, thank you." Smiled Detective Rivas.

"Marilyn, keep him company, honey, Jane should be back in a few minutes." Mrs. Milbourne said as she walked back to the kitchen.

Doctor Milbourne smiled at her mother's retreating back before turning back to the detective.

"I didn't know you were going to be here to talk to Jane?" Said Doctor Milbourne as she took a seat in the couch across from Detective Rivas.

"It's a last minute thing." Said Detective Rivas. "I've got some news and thought it would be best if I told her now instead of later."

"Oh?" Asked the doctor with curiosity.

"We best wait for Jane." Said Detective Rivas.

Doctor Milbourne knew it was big news if he wasn't willing to tell her what he knew without Jane being present. In the past six weeks they had discussed Jane's case from the moment she was found. She had known everything as it happened, sometimes before Jane was told. Therefore, for Detective Rivas to be quiet about any latest developments, it could only mean that the news he had to impart were big.

Mrs. Milbourne returned to the living room with a tray full of chips and peanuts and a couple of cups of dips.

"Here you go, why don't you munch on this while we wait for dinner to be done. You'll be staying for dinner, of course, Detective Rivas." It was a statement, not a question. The only thing Detective Rivas could do was nod in agreement. He didn't want to be rude, after all.

Mrs. Milbourne smiled and returned to the kitchen, leaving the younger couple alone in the living room.

"Where are the others?" Asked Detective Rivas as he reached for a couple of chips.

"Nick and Bob, have returned home." Said Doctor Milbourne. "Johnny went out with some friends."

The front door opened.

Detective Rivas stood and waited to see if it was Jane who was returning.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jane ended the day quietly. The incident with the glass figurine refused to leave her mind. She thought about it constantly. What had happened? Had it all been a dream? Had she imagined that it had broken when in reality that hadn't been the case? She really didn't understand what had happened, was it maybe a memory of something that had happened before and just came to mind as the figurine fell?

She shook her head silently. It didn't do any good to think of it, there was no explanation and she was afraid that if she told anybody about it they would just think her crazy.

She glanced out the window of the bus. She was near her stop. She pulled the string and heard the stop light ring at the front of the bus.

"Bye, Jane." Said the driver as the door opened.

"Bye, Don. I'll see you tomorrow." Jane said and stepped off the bus.

She walked slowly towards Mrs. Milbourne's house. She liked looking at the park on her way home. The park was always full of people on her return from work. There were couples running or walking, mothers with their children playing, even a few fathers, teenagers playing ball or just hanging around with their friends.

Jane smiled at the sight of a young couple trying to keep up with their young son. "Harry, come back here." He heard the father call.

The name seemed familiar to Jane and triggered a face of a boy with green eyes and black, messy hair, but she couldn't remember who it was or where she had seen the face before and put the memory aside.

She had arrived home, and promptly noticed the two cars parked in front of the house. One, she knew, belonged to Doctor Milbourne, who had agreed to spend dinner with her mother. The other, she wasn't so sure of, but she thought it looked familiar.

She took her key and turned the lock.

"Hello!" She called as she opened the door.

"Jane, come to the living room. There's somebody who wants to see you." She heard Doctor Milbourne say.

Jane frowned for a moment, who could want to speak to her? Unless it was Detective Rivas.

She quickly crossed to the living room where she did indeed find Detective Rivas waiting for her.

"Hello Detective." She said with a smile. "To what do we owe this honor?" She shook his hand and sat in the seat next to him.

"Hello Jane. I have news for you." He said looking a little smug.

Jane looked at him with surprise.

"What – what is it?" She asked with some trepidation.

"I received a call from the London Police Department. They got a copy of the wire I sent with the British Ambassador a few weeks ago. They got a match to a case they've been working on for almost two months." Detective Rivas said.

"Are you sure?" Jane asked nervously.

"Oh, yes. They want more information of your case to see if you are the missing person they've been looking for." Detective Rivas said with a smile.

"This is good news." Exclaimed Doctor Milbourne.

"Yes." Whispered Jane as Doctor Milbourne asked Detective Rivas to tell her what had been said in the call.

It had been almost two months since she had been found in a deserted alley, unconscious and without a memory of who she was or where she came from.

For the past weeks she had wished and cried for the unknown friends and family she was sure she had waiting for her. She had dreamed and hoped that one day they would find her. All these people were faceless in her dreams, but now, it seemed that they would finally have a face.

"Jane!" Detective Rivas' voice intruded her thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes." She exclaimed. "Just a little daydreaming I suppose."

"We understand." Smiled Doctor Milbourne. She then turned to Detective Rivas. "What needs to be done now?" She asked.

"Well, they want physical information. They asked for a blood analysis including a DNA sample. Photos of Jane and a copy of her medical file. Evidence photos. Everything, they say that they caught the persons responsible for the disappearance in their case, but they were in no shape to tell them anything and they've been in a hospital since they were found a few weeks ago. So they need all the information they can get and match it to what they know of the case already." Detective Rivas informed them.

"Is it going to take long?" Jane asked starting to feel a little impatient about the whole process.

"The sooner we send them the information they want, the sooner we'll know." Said Detective Rivas.

"Jane, you'll need to come to the hospital to give a blood sample. The analysis and DNA preparation can take time but it can be sent directly to them once it's ready. I'll have her file ready for you by tomorrow afternoon." Said Doctor Milbourne turning to Detective Rivas.

Detective Rivas nodded. "I have her case report ready. I've had it ready since I went to see the Ambassador." He smiled.

Doctor Milbourne turned to look at Jane. "Everything will be fine, Jane. You'll be soon with your family."

"I hope so." Sighed Jane.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron went directly to his flat after work instead of going to the Burrow as he had done for the past month or so.

He hadn't spent much time in the flat since Hermione's disappearance. He was there only to sleep and change clothes, nothing more. He ate at the Burrow and spent his free time at the Ministry.

He looked around the flat. It all looked cold and unfamiliar.

"Hermione's not going to like this." He whispered as he noticed the coat of dust on top of every surface.

He quickly swished his wand and the duster and the vacuum flew out the cupboard. He swished his wand once more and the broom followed out and started to sweep the kitchen.

"The bedroom." He said and ran to the bedroom, which was the only room in the house that showed it had been used recently.

With a swish of his wand, the bed started to make itself, the pillows flew off the mattress, the sheets were straightened and the bedcovers folded.

He then proceeded to the bathroom.

It was past midnight when Ron sat down. Every tile in the bathroom was scrubbed and cleaned. The bedroom was now tidy and the kitchen clean. The floors sparkled with wax and the carpets were free of dust and lint.

He fell back on the bed heavily.

"You'll be home soon, Hermione." He whispered.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jane was preoccupied.

It had been almost three weeks since Detective Rivas' visit and two since she had blood taken and a final physical done by Doctor Milbourne.

How long would it take for them to get word back from London? She wondered. Detective Rivas said it might take a while as the police in London had to match all the information they've been given to what they already had. But Jane was still worried. What if it wasn't her case, but somebody else's? What if she wasn't the woman they were looking for?

She wished she were as excited about the possibility as were Detective Rivas and Doctor Milbourne. They were really excited about the prospect and were happy for her. But she couldn't help but think how sad she would be to leaving all her new friends behind.

"Jane? Jane, are you alright?" Gina was asking at her side.

Jane shook her head softly and smiled at the young woman beside her. "I'm sorry Gina, I'm just woolgathering I suppose."

"Woolwhat?" Gina asked with some confusion.

"Daydreaming." Jane replied.

"Oh. Well, it is a slow day." Gina said. "Usually we have a lot of people here on Friday evenings, but today it's kinda dead."

"Just a little." Smiled Jane.

"At least Cecily has stayed in the office." Gina said with a grimace. "I hate it when she's out here watching us every single minute."

Jane had to agree. She couldn't help but think of Cecily as a predatory vulture, that stood in a tree waiting for its pray to die so it could sweep down and have its meal.

"Is she doing the order?" Jane asked pleasantly as she started to tidy up the items in the counter.

"I suppose." Gina said with a shrug. "She usually does."

"David seemed a little odd today." Jane said with a slight frown. She had noticed that her employer seemed a little distracted and aloof that morning, when he was usually so cheerful and alert of everything that happened in the store.

"I noticed that too." Gina said quietly. "I think he had a fight with Cecily last night. They were arguing in the office just before I left for the night."

"Oh?" Jane asked curiously wondering if her young friend had heard what the argument was about.

"Yeah, I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but I think it was about Mrs. G." Gina whispered, looking around to see if anyone was nearby.

"About Mrs. Grady?" Jane asked with surprise. "What is there to argue about Mrs. G?"

"Exactly what I thought. But it seems that Cecily said something about her and David didn't like it." Reported Gina confident that their supervisor couldn't hear them.

"Did she want to fire her?" Asked Jane with a frown.

Gina shrugged. "Don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did."

Jane shook her head softly. "You would think that Cecily would refrain herself from antagonizing David."

"One would think that, but you already know how she is. She wants to take control of the business and Mrs. G doesn't take any crap from her." Gina said with a smile.

"I like Mrs. Grady." Said Jane. "She's very motherly, isn't she?"

"Yeah." Laughed Gina. "I think she would've been a good mother, if she had had any children."

Jane nodded. She looked at the clock set behind the counter. She had half an hour more to go before going home. She was eager to know if any news had arrived yet.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"The Muggle Police Liaison Office has everything they need." Said Shaklebolt to the two young men sitting before him. "It'll be a matter of time until we know if this girl is Hermione."

"How soon, do you think?" Asked Ron.

"Can't say. They'll need to do some tests and check on the investigation. They'll let us know once everything is completed. I imagine it might take a week if not more." Said Shacklebolt.

Ron groaned with frustration. He wanted things to be cleared soon so that Hermione could return home. He was sure this girl was Hermione and he wouldn't think otherwise.

"So why are we here?" Asked Harry. "Do they have any information we should know?"

"No. But I thought you would like to prepare yourselves." Said Shacklebolt.

"Prepare ourselves?" Asked Ron with some surprise. "Why?"

"Because, if this is Hermione, I thought you two would like to be the ones to go and bring her back." Shacklebolt smiled.

"Are you serious?" Ron said sitting up at the edge of the chair.

"I am." Said Shacklebolt. "Mind you, you'll have to do it the Muggle way. According to what I've been told about the case, she has a case of amnesia. The doctors say that with time her memories will return, but she's been living with Muggles these past two months, which means, no magic. At least until she's been looked at by St. Mungos' and we know it's safe for us to tell her."

Ron and Harry shared a concerned glance but nodded their agreement.

"I think you should tell your sister to get ready as well." Said Shacklebolt, looking at Ron closely.

"Ginny? Why?" Asked Ron with some surprise.

"She's training to be a healer." Said Harry seeming to understand why Shacklebolt wanted Ginny to go along with them. "She might be able to keep an eye on Hermione if there's any need."

Shacklebolt nodded. "It might not be necessary." He said. "As far as I know it's only her memory that is the problem, but it's safer to bring a healer along, even if it's only a healer in training."

"If you think it would serve." Said Ron softly.

"And it might help to have a woman along." Said Harry.

"How's that?" Asked Ron with some confusion.

"If Hermione can't remember anything, we must assume that she won't remember us and might feel more comfortable having a woman with her while she's with us." Replied Harry.

"Oh. And Ginny knows her so it is better." Ron said.

"Right. You'll need to get passports to go to America. I don't know how that works but I'll ask the Muggle Relations Office to get those for you. I'll tell them to have one for Hermione as well. Pack and have your luggage ready, you'll leave as soon as they give me the word." Shacklebolt order.

The two young men nodded and quickly left the office.

Shacklebolt watched them go with some trepidation. Was he doing the right thing? Or should he send another team to get this girl back?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

No news awaited Jane on her return home. She had been disappointed to say the least, but she had hopes that they would hear something soon.

For the moment, she vowed to live life to its fullest and make the most of the time she had left with her new friends.

Mrs. Milbourne had been busily preparing dinner when Jane walked into the house.

"Is that you, Jane?" Called Mrs. Milbourne from the kitchen.

"Yes, Mrs. Milbourne." Jane called back as she closed the door behind her.

"I'm in the kitchen." Mrs. Milbourne said.

"I'll just leave my things in my room." Said Jane and hurried up the stairs to the second floor.

She left her things on the chair next to the bed and returned down toward the kitchen.

"It'll be just the two of us tonight." Said Mrs. Milbourn as Jane walked into the kitchen. "Johnny went to spend the weekend with his parents and Marilyn had a cocktail thing to go to."

"Do you need any help?" Asked Jane looking at the neat platters of vegetables and fruit waiting in one counter.

"Just take those platters to the dining room, Jane." Said Mrs. Milbourne. "I'll take the stew and the rice out in a moment."

Jane nodded and quickly did as she was told.

She took the platters into the dining room and started to set the table.

Dusk had fallen. The golden rays of the setting sun shone through the open curtains of the windows lining the wall. Jane could see couples running or walking in the park across the street and children running with dogs frolicking nearby.

She smiled. Soon. She thought, soon she'll have her family and friends nearby.

She hoped.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ginny was told in secret about the proposed trip.

"But why can't we tell mum and dad?" Asked Ginny after being told about the hoped find of Hermione. "They've been worried about her as much as you have."

"I know. But not even the Grangers have been told yet." Said Ron. "We're not sure if this girl is Hermione, we're just assuming she is."

"We're only telling you because Kingsley wants you to go with us. You have to prepare for the trip." Harry said.

"All right. But when are we telling the others?" Ginny asked with concern.

"As soon as her identity has been confirmed." Said Ron. "Then we'll go and bring her back."

"Oh, I hope it is Hermione." Exclaimed Ginny.

"You and I both." Sighed Harry.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It wasn't until two weeks later that Jane heard from Detective Rivas.

Jane had just returned from work to find both Doctor Milbourne and Detective Rivas waiting for her.

"Hello." She said with some apprehension. Did they have any news? She wondered. Were they there to tell her that it had been a mistake and it wasn't her they were looking for after all?

"Hi, Jane. Come in, Detective Rivas has some news for you." Said Doctor Milbourne.

Jane walked into the room slowly and took a seat in the chair nearest to the door.

"I had a call from London this morning, Jane. It seems that everything matches up, you'll be going home soon." Detective Rivas said smiling.

Jane gasped with excitement. She was going home.

"Are – are you sure?" She asked haltingly.

"Yes. They faxed a copy of your file. There are pictures there that your family had submitted." He said opening the folder he had kept at his side. He took out a paper and passed it to Jane, who hurried toward him and took it promptly.

It was a copy of three different photos, placed on a sheet of paper. They were black and white, but the person in the photos was clear.

"And here's something else." Detective Rivas said pulling out another page. "It seems that your name is Hermione Granger."

"Hermione?" Asked Jane quietly. Silent tears were falling down her face.

"Hermione." Smiled Detective Rivas.

Doctor Milbourne silently stood from her seat and took the sobbing girl into her arms. She stroked her back and made soothing noises as she looked at the Detective over Hermione's shoulder. And smiled.

Detective Rivas smiled back. They had arrived to the end of their journey, now they were ready to embark on another.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron lay on his bed. It had been three lonely months since Hermione's disappearance, but after industrious work and frustrating search, she had finally been found. Shacklebolt had confirmed the results of the Muggle Police Liaison Office earlier that evening. The woman found in a dark alley somewhere in America was Hermione.

Ron smiled.

"You'll be home soon, Hermione." He whispered. "I'll bring you home."

He turned on his side and his eyes fell on the photo frame placed on the bedside table. It was a photo of him and Hermione by the lake on the Hogwarts' grounds. It had been taken on their last day of their seventh year, just after the final exams had been finished and a few days before the final battle between Voldemort and Harry took place.

Those had been dark times, but from them, a marvelous thing happened. He had found his love for Hermione was reciprocated and a wonderful relationship had been born.

Now they were to be reunited once more and he couldn't wait for it to happen. Soon, Hermione would return home.

It had taken some time for Hermione to regain her composure.

"Are you sure you're fine now?" Asked Doctor Milbourne as Hermione dried her tears.

"Yes. Thank you." Sighed Hermione. "It was just the shock."

"I know." Said Doctor Milbourne passing her a glass of water.

"Maybe I should've waited to tell you all this." Said Detective Rivas as he watched Doctor Milbourne help Hermione.

"No, it's all right." Said Hermione with a smile.

"It was to be expected." Said Mrs. Milbourne from the door. She had hurried to the living room when she heard Jane come in and had brought a pitcher of water and some glasses while her daughter soothed Hermione.

"What – what will happen now?" Asked Hermione after taking a sip of water.

"They're sending a team over to escort you home." Detective Rivas said. "They'll be here in less than a week. They mentioned that they were friends of yours."

"Friends?" Asked Hermione fearfully. What if they thought she wasn't the same, what if they were disappointed to find her changed?

"I suppose they thought that some familiar faces might help." Said Mrs. Milbourne, as if sensing Hermione's fears.

"I suppose so." Said Hermione doubtfully.

"They will help." Said Doctor Milbourne. "Who knows, maybe their presence here will help you to regain your memory faster than we thought."

"You really think so?" Asked Hermione hopefully.

"It is possible." Doctor Milbourne said. "That's why we were looking for your friends and family in the first place."

"Did they send their names?" Mrs. Milbourne asked curiously.

"Ah, yes. They're in here somewhere." Said Detective Rivas looking into the folder. "Ah, here it is. Their names, Harry Potter, Ron and Genevra Weasley." He read.

Hermione frowned with concentration. "Harry, Ginny and Ron." She whispered.

"Do they sound familiar?" Asked Doctor Milbourne.

"Somewhat. But I'm not sure." Said Hermione.

"Don't worry. It will be fine." Said Mrs. Milbourne.

Hermione nodded and smiled.

She was going home, she thought, she was going home.

* * *

A/N: Here you go, the sixth chapter is now up, I hope you have enjoyed it as much as you have the rest. Thank you all for your reviews, it's nice to know what my readers think as the chapters are uploaded. Happy Reading!

Alexa


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello! I'm sorry this update is a little late, but as some of you may know, I was in a bad car accident back in July, and it hasn't been until the end of last month that I was able to return to work. To make things more complicated, school has started again and with my therapy schedule and work, I barely have time to write or edit what I already have written. So I guess I'm asking you to be a little patient with me, from now on you may not get a new update until the weekend, and as I work Saturday mornings, Sunday is the best day for me. I hope you understand and it doesn't puts you off from continuing reading this story.

_

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

**_Chapter 7 Found_**

The Weasleys were celebrating. Ron had confirmed to them that afternoon that Hermione had been found. After weeks of worry, she had been found and would be brought home soon.

But Ron didn't remain in the celebrations for long. He opted to go home early and think about the meeting they had earlier that morning.

Shacklebolt had met with Ron, Harry and Ginny in his office. He presented them with passports, identification documents and plane tickets.

"You'll leave Heathrow in the 7 o'clock flight to New York City." He explained. "From there you'll take a connecting flight to the city where she is. We've made reservations for a couple of rooms for you in a hotel Downtown. You'll be arriving late, so I advice you to go to your hotel and wait until the morning to go in search of Hermione." He said looking at the young people before him with a warning glance.

At the nod of agreement from them he continued.

"There's a small bookstore in the corner of fourth avenue and eleventh street. It's a bookstore on the occult, Muggle books. Ask for Martina Donaldson, she's the owner. Identify yourself with your Ministry badges, she's a witch and will help you find your way around the city. You'll need to contact Detective Manuel Rivas, he's in charge of the case. Martina will know how to get in touch with him. He'll take you to Hermione, don't try to find her on your own. We don't want you to call attention to yourselves.

"There's a plane ticket for Hermione on your packets, don't try to hurry her, she might feel uncomfortable with you at the beginning. Let her get acquainted with you first. The healers at St. Mungos said that it is better if you refrain yourselves from showing any signs of magic in front of her for the moment, and don't say anything that will make her suspicious of you." Shacklebolt continued.

Ron was feeling more wary of the situation. Here they were talking about a person they had known for eleven years, yet, hearing Shacklebolt talking about her it sounded like he was talking about somebody else. Not talk about magic to Hermione? For Merlin's sake, thought Ron, Hermione had been the most knowledgeable witch Hogwarts had seen in many years.

"What do we tell her then? If she asks us about her life here, I mean." Said Harry and Ron knew he had been thinking along the lines of his own thoughts.

"Just tell her general facts, as if you were speaking to a Muggle. Tell her you went to a private school in Scotland. You met there, you became friends. Tell her about your family, about her own. Just don't give her any particulars. Don't talk about Charms lessons, Transfiguration or Potions. The memories must be allowed to come on their own, the healers say, so you have to be careful of what you tell her. Once she's been reintroduced to our world, you'll be allowed to give her more details about her time at Hogwarts." Shacklebolt said.

Ron sat back on his chair with a sigh.

"This is a lot more complicated that I thought." Said Ginny.

"The situation is complicated." Shacklebolt replied.

"How long must we stay there?" Asked Harry.

"Just for three days. Just long enough to give Hermione time to say goodbye and put her affairs in order. But the tickets can be exchanged for a later departure date if necessary." Shacklebolt answered.

"When do we leave?" Ron asked the question he was most eager to have answered.

Shacklebolt watched him carefully before answering. "Friday morning. I recommend you start packing. You'll have to disillusion your wands and pack them in your suitcases. We don't want the American custom officers to think you may be carrying any weapons on you."

The young people before him nodded and he continued.

"I will be waiting for you in the airport on your return." He said. He seemed to be ready to add something else but after a slight hesitation he continued. "The Grangers are eager to see her. I've convinced them to wait at home, we'll escort Hermione to see them at your return."

"I suppose we should start packing." Ginny sighed. "I'm going to need to do some shopping if I have to live as a Muggle while we're there."

"I'll go with you. I could do with a few things." Harry said. "Want to join us?" He asked turning to look at Ron.

Ron shook his head. "I have all that I need." He said.

"Very well. I'll keep you updated if there are any changes." Shacklebolt said.

Ron recollected later that they hadn't stayed in the office for long after that. It wouldn't be long, he thought. It wouldn't be long until Hermione was back home.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Today was Hermione's last day at work.

To say that she was sad was an understatement. For more than two months, this had been her life. She had enjoyed working at David's store. She had made new friends in Mrs. Grady, Gina, and David had been very supportive of her. Cecily was the only person who seemed glad that she was leaving, but as Mrs. Grady had said, she would be glad if they were all leaving.

Hermione had remained at the register most of the morning. Mrs. Grady had been staying on the floor and close to the break room for most of the day. Hermione wasn't fooled, she knew they were planning something, but she remained in her place and tried no to let them know that she suspected something.

It had been a quiet week for Hermione. She had remained close to Mrs. Milbourne's house hoping to hear that this friends coming for her were near. It wasn't until the previous day that Detective Rivas contacted her with news that they would be arriving Friday night and were most likely to see her sometime on Saturday. By Monday, she would be on her way home.

She couldn't wait. She wanted to see her family, wanted to see the place where she had grown up. She wanted to walk down the streets that she should be remembering, and she wanted to see the faces of these people who called themselves her friends. She wanted to be where she belonged. And maybe then, her memories would return and life could be as it once had been.

And she was curious. She was curious to know who her fiancé was supposed to be.

She had not worn the engagement ring found in her finger since it had been returned to her. She had felt uncomfortable wearing the symbol of her commitment to another person when she couldn't even remember who this person was. But now, she was going home, and hopefully, she would be able to know more of this person who obviously meant a lot to her. And that thought made her wonder, why was he not coming along with this group of friends who were taking her home? And if he was, which of the two men coming was her fiancé?

All her speculation made her nervous. She didn't know what to expect. For more than two months, she had been living along with these new friends and she had become accustomed to their ways and their presence in her everyday life. Now, things would change, and even though she knew that her new life might be the one she had lived before her attack, in her eyes, it was a new experience and she didn't know if she would fit. She knew there would be people there to help her in her recovery, but these were strangers to her, even her family would be strangers to her, and that thought made her feel lonely and a little depressed. She would miss her friends, and she would miss the support they had given her in the past months.

But the time had arrived to say goodbye. She had known from the moment she had left the hospital that it would happen sometime but she had not expected it to take her by surprise. But it had, and now she must leave them behind.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Do you have everything you need packed?" Ginny had stormed into Ron's flat that morning while he was still in bed.

Ron groaned from the pile of blankets above the bed. "Leave me alone." He said and returned to settle back on the bedclothes.

"We leave in two days, Ron. You are packed aren't you?" Ginny said pulling the blankets from the bed, to find her brother sprawled upon the bed.

Ron groaned once more, but knew that returning to sleep was hopeless. "I'm almost done." He said stretching a little before leaving the bed for good.

"You should be done." Ginny snapped. "Honestly, one would think that you didn't care."

"I care." Yelled Ron. "This is Hermione we're speaking about. I want her back home as much as you do. But packing now, or packing later doesn't change the fact that we're leaving Friday. What good is it to pack everything now when I can't go anywhere?"

"Will you shut up, that's not what I meant and you know it." Said Ginny. "Mum wants you to spend the next couple of days at the Burrow."

"What for?" Grumbled Ron as he made his way to the bathroom.

"So you can be with family." Ginny called as the door closed behind her brother. "Honestly." She mumbled as she flicked her wand and the bedclothes on the bed started to straighten. "He is such a bear in the morning, I don't know how Hermione could stand him."

"What are you saying?" Ron called as the shower was turned on.

"Nothing!" Ginny called back.

As soon as the bedroom was tidied, Ginny went to the kitchen. The flat was relatively clean, but it was obvious that no woman had been living there for some time. Only a woman would notice the dust collecting in the pantry and the grease that collected on top of the stove.

Ginny shook her head and started to make a light breakfast for her brother. She would tell her mother about the flat and knew that Mrs. Weasley would come in while they were away and make sure that the flat was spotlessly clean on their return. It wouldn't do to say anything to Ron, he wouldn't even notice.

Minutes later, Ron walked out of the bedroom in his teal everyday robes.

"Why does she want me at the Burrow?" Ron asked as he sat at the table where his breakfast had been set.

"I told you, so you can be with family before we leave." Ginny said as she straightened around the kitchen.

Ron shrugged carelessly. He didn't want to say it but he preferred to spend the day at the Burrow, the flat felt too lonely without Hermione.

"Fine." He finally said.

"Finish your packing while I finish cleaning in here." Ordered Ginny.

Ron finished his meal and returned to the bedroom to finish his packing. He had lied when he had said earlier that he was almost finished. In truth, he hadn't even begun.

It didn't take long for his luggage to be done. He packed an extra bag with robes to use while he remained in the Burrow, along with a few personal items.

"I'm done." He said walking back to the kitchen.

"Finally. I thought you said you were almost packed." Ginny said from the couch in the living room.

"So it took me longer than it should." Shrugged Ron. "Let us go."

A few seconds later, brother and sister disapparated from the cleaned flat.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione had one more hour left before she left work for good.

Gina had come in one hour earlier than usual and Mrs. Grady had said she would stay for an extra hour. Hermione smiled with some amusement. It was clear now that they had something planned and she couldn't wait to find out what.

She found out half an hour later.

"Jane." David still had trouble remembering to call her Hermione and had finally given up after a while. "Why don't you go to the break room, you might as well punch out now." He said.

"What about the register?" Hermione asked.

"Cecily will stay here until Gina is ready to take over." Said David as Cecily waited quietly behind him.

"All right." Said Hermione as her register was closed and another opened.

She and David walked quickly to the break room, leaving Cecily by the counter as new customers walked into the store.

The break room was heavily decorated with balloons and vases of flowers. A large banner with GOOD LUCK HERMIONE hung above the office door. On the table were platters of lasagna, pot roast, potatoes and vegetables, and salads. A couple of bottles of wine and another of soda were chilling in a bucket of ice.

"We wanted to say goodbye." Said Mrs. Grady as she hugged Hermione the moment she walked into the room.

"Thank you." Said Hermione as David walked to the office to leave the tray from the register before returning to the party.

"It's not much." Gina was saying. "But there's not a lot of us anyway."

Hermione smiled. "That's all right." She said. "I'm not expecting much."

"When do your friends come to take you home?" Asked Mrs. Grady, who had known the whole story from the beginning, when Hermione found her a good friend and supporter.

"They arrive Friday." Hermione said as David walked back into the room. "But Detective Rivas says that it might not be until Saturday that they can contact him."

"In other words, he's putting some extra hours this weekend." David said.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that!" Exclaimed Hermione.

"Don't worry. He enjoys his job too much. He wouldn't care." David said. "Besides, I know he's been looking forward to closing your case for so long, he wouldn't be comfortable leaving it alone until business hours."

Hermione knew he was right but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for keeping Detective Rivas busy on her case while he could be out with his friends. But any further thought in the matter was put aside as Mrs. Grady and Gina placed a couple of wrapped parcels on the table.

"We got these for you." Gina smiled.

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Hermione exclaimed.

"We know, but we wanted to." Replied Mrs. Grady.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was standing by the backdoor of the Burrow. There were gnome-holes around the yard and the rustling in the bushes told him that his parents hadn't gotten around to degnoming the yard recently. Usually, one of his brothers or Ginny would come around and do it for them. Ron had done so a few times, but he hadn't done so in the last months.

"Ron!" He heard Ginny call from the kitchen. "Ron!"

"What?" Called Ron.

"Mum wants you." She said stepping out to the yard. "She says you didn't eat much during dinner."

"I'm not hungry." Said Ron.

"Ron…"

"I'm not hungry, Ginny." Ron cut her off.

"Look, I know you're nervous about the trip, but – "

"Ginny. I just want to be alone." Ron interrupted.

Ginny glanced at him.

"Please." Ron said.

Ginny sighed. "Alright." With a last glance at her brother she returned to the kitchen.

Ron sighed as he leaned onto the wall. His mother had been fussing around the kitchen the whole evening. He knew she was as eager as he was to see this business with Hermione end at last. They all were, the Grangers and the Weasleys were eager to see it come to an end. But all the expectations made Ron think about the contretemps they were due to find along the trip.

He could only wonder on how things would be once they found her. He understood that she might not remember him, nor that they had been engaged for three months now. And that was the hardest thing for him to come to terms with. How was he supposed to be close to Hermione, travel with her and see her every day without letting her know how much she meant to him?

Ginny had told him that it would be best if he didn't tell Hermione about their relationship, unless she brought up the subject herself. Ginny had said that the healers at St. Mungos had advised her to keep any major personal information from Hermione. That they must allow her mind to heal first, and then the memories would return. They weren't sure how long it would take for Hermione to be completely healed but Ron wasn't too happy about the thought that it might take much longer than they wished. If she had been without memories for close to three months, how sure were the healers that she would remember at all?

Ron looked up to see the stars blinking above him. And wondered. How will things be on their return?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mrs. Grady had offered a ride to Hermione after their party. Her presents were bagged and the food packed; and at last, it was time to say goodbye.

"Thank you, David." Hermione said looking at her former employer with gratitude. "I enjoyed working with you."

"So did I." David smiled. "And don't forget this." He said handing her an envelope.

"What is this?" Asked Hermione with surprise.

"Your last check, of course." Said David. "I cashed it, didn't think you would mind if I did."

"Thank you." Hermione said.

"Have a nice trip." David replied.

"I hope you will write sometime." Said Gina, pressing a piece of paper in Hermione's hand. "I wrote my e-mail and address for you."

"Thanks, I will." Hermione smiled.

Gina nodded and with a last smile walked out to the sales floor. Cecily was still on the counter and she didn't dare stay out any longer and displease Cecily in the process.

With a last look around the break room, Hermione walked out. Mrs. Grady was waiting for her in the parking lot.

"Good bye." Hermione called as she left the store.

"Goodbye." David and Gina replied.

Hermione looked around the Lobby of the mall as she walked toward the employee parking lot. The holidays were still some time away but the mall had started to get ready. With Halloween a few days away, the windows of the stores were decorated with plastic spiders, glowing ghost stickers and flying witches hanging by wires. She always smiled at the sight of the toy witches, she didn't know why, but they always looked funny to her.

It didn't take her long to reach the parking lot and see Mrs. Grady parked near the door waiting for her.

"I thought they were going to keep you for the rest of the day." Mrs. Grady laughed as Hermione climbed into the car.

Hermione smiled. "I'll miss coming to work every day." She said.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get used to the job you're going to." Mrs. Grady said.

"I suppose, but I don't know what kind of work I did before I came." Hermione sighed.

"It'll come back. You never really forget what you learn." Mrs. Grady replied. "It's like riding a bicycle. It could be years since you've last ridden, but once you get on the seat, it all comes back."

"I hope so. I don't think I'd like it if I had to stay home all the time." Hermione said. "I'll get bored."

Mrs. Grady laughed. "Don't worry, things will become easier once you've settled down at home."

"I don't know. I just – I just can't imagine what it will be like going home. I don't even remember what home is like?" Hermione exclaimed.

Mrs. Grady gave her a quick glance before turning back to the road. "I think we all feel like that when we leave home and then return after a time. Things might've changed and you find yourself in a new and strange place. But remember, Hermione, as the saying goes, Home is where the heart is. And I'm sure your family and friends will try to make it easier for you."

"And that's another thing. These friends coming for me remember me as I was before, what if they're disappointed." Hermione said softly.

"Oh, you have nothing to worry about. They'll love you as much as they did before." Mrs. Grady exclaimed.

"I hope so." Hermione sighed.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Hurry up, Ron, we have to be in the airport in half an hour." Ginny yelled from the kitchen.

"What's the hurry? The plane doesn't leave until three hours from now." Said Ron, placing his luggage by his sister's beside the front door.

"Don't you remember what Shaklebolt said?" Ginny exclaimed with exasperation. "He said we had to go through screens and metal detectors and I don't know what else, thus, we have to be there at least two hours before the plane leaves."

"But Harry isn't even here yet." Said Ron snatching one of his mother's rolls that were cooling on the kitchen table.

"He's going to meet us there." Ginny said. "Oh, honestly, don't you pay any attention?"

"I was paying attention." Ron snapped. "I just don't understand why it has to take so long. There are apparition bases throughout the Atlantic. Why can't we go that way, we'd be there sooner."

"You know why we're going the Muggle way." Said Ginny. "Besides, you should've been ready an hour ago. What took you so long?"

"I forgot to Disillusion my wand, so I had to unpack my whole bag to find it." Ron answered.

"The taxi should be here soon. Mum and dad already left, they'll be waiting for us in the airport." Ginny said, walking quickly to the sitting room in the front of the house.

"Why did they go before us?" Ron asked walking behind her.

"Because they were meeting Fred and George at Diagon Alley." Ginny said looking out the window to see if she got a glimpse of the ordered taxi.

"But – "

"It's here. Quickly, get your things, we're already late as it is." Ginny interrupted him as she scrambled to get her luggage. "Come on, hurry up."

"Alright, alright." Ron exclaimed as he took his own bags and followed her out of the house. As much as he wanted to see Hermione again, he still thought it was foolish to go this way, he much preferred to use apparition, he would be able to see her sooner than traveling the Muggle way. But the plan had been done and they were on their way. He just hoped that by this time tomorrow he would have Hermione in his arms once more.

Ginny flew down the path toward the waiting cab. Ron followed her at a more subdued pace. Once the baggage had been stowed into the trunk, the cab started on its way toward the city.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione barely slept that night. Her mind kept thinking about these unknown friends she would see in two days and couldn't help but try to remember what they looked like, or how she had met them.

What were they expecting? She wondered. Would they be disappointed when they saw her? That was her greatest fear, that once they saw her they would say that she was an impostor that she wasn't the friend they had come looking for.

"What do you think you're doing?" One of them would say. "You're not Hermione!"

And then the others would agree and they would leave her behind.

She knew she was being paranoid, and that it would probably wouldn't be that way. But she couldn't help it. She was scared of the upcoming meeting and what it could mean for her future.

By the time the sun dawned and the darkness of the night started to disappear, Hermione had fallen into a fitful sleep.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Why do I have to take off my shoes?" Ron was mumbling as they waited in line to get through the metal detectors to get to the gates.

"It's just security, Ron." Said Harry. "Just like when we present our wand in the Ministry before getting through."

"Yes, but we don't have to take our robes and shoes off. Look at them! We have to take off our coats off too." Ron said softly, making sure that their conversation wasn't heard by the muggles around them.

"They just have to make sure that nobody goes through with any weapons or bombs." Harry explained.

"How can anybody fit a bomb or a weapon in a shoe?" Ron looked skeptical that that could be possible.

"It happened before. That's why people have to take off their shoes now." Harry said.

"Really?" Ron asked with surprise. "I guess dad is right, Muggles do know how to get around things without magic, don't they."

"They do. And walk, it's your turn to go through." Ordered Ginny behind them, who had been listening to their conversation in silence as she also agreed with her brother's views.

Ron took off his shoes and coat, and placed them in one of the plastic boxes on the table next to the detectors. He placed his overnight bag beside it and pushed it toward the moving belt. He walked confidently through the detector, looking at it with suspicion.

He saw the security people on the other side. Some were passing a metal wand around some people, others were waiting looking at the people passing through with care.

Ron looked at all this with some curiosity. He had never been completely surrounded by Muggles before. Through his work, he had to find his way around the Muggle world, but he had never been asked to live like a Muggle. His wand had always been by his side since he got it before his third year in Hogwarts after his previous wand had been broken in his second year. Now, that same wand was hidden deep in his bag and he had to keep it hidden throughout this journey. Nobody would ever believe they had a witch and two wizards among them by the looks of it. He knew he wouldn't.

He took his shoes and bag and waited for Harry and Ginny to pass through. He watched in interest as the detector shrilled as some people passed when it didn't with others. Those who had made it shrill were taken aside and looked over with the metal wand some of the security people had in hand.

"What is that thing for?" He asked as Harry joined him.

"To detect metal. Metal makes the detector activate so they use the wand to make sure it's not any weapon hidden in their clothes." Harry explained as he put on his shoes.

"How do you know all this?" Ginny asked with curiosity as Harry had been able to answer most of Ron's question without hesitation. She knew that Harry had been living within the Magical community for too long that she had expected him to know virtually nothing about the Muggle world.

"Research." Harry said. "I like to know what I'm getting into before going on a mission." He smiled. "I've been away from the Muggle world too long so I made a little research about what was happening recently."

"I suppose we all should've done that." Ron said with a moue of embarrassment. "As it is now, we can't keep an educated conversation with a Muggle. I know nothing about recent events in the Muggle world."

"Believe me, you wouldn't like it." Said Harry cryptically.

"That bad, is it?" Ginny asked.

"It could be worse, I suppose." Harry said.

The trio started down the corridor looking for the gate to their flight. It took them a while to get to it, as Ron kept halting now and then to look at the things on sale on the many stores on their way.

"We still have an hour to wait." Said Ron as soon as they found the gate they had been looking for.

"Less. The plane will begin to board in about half and hour." Said Harry looking at the sign behind the counter with the flight information.

"I'm hungry." Ron said.

"I told you to eat at tea time, but you wouldn't listen." Snapped Ginny.

"I can't help it." Ron exclaimed.

"We have time to get something to go." Harry said.

"But aren't we getting any food during the flight?" Asked Ginny as she was sure that she had seen in their printed itinerary that a meal would be served in the plane.

"From what I've heard, it isn't much of a meal." Harry explained. "I don't think it will be enough to held us over for the next twelve hours."

"Let's get something then." Said Ron turning to look at the various fast food places nearby.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione arose rather later than she was accustomed to. The sun was high on the sky and a cold breeze shook the golden leaves from the trees. It was a beautiful morning, but Hermione didn't see it as she thought about the three friends who were now flying across the ocean to reunite with her.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"Come on, Hermione." She said to herself. "Just one more day."

She slowly left the bed ready to begin the day.

Only Mrs. Milbourne remained in the house as Hermione made her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning." Hermione said as she stepped down from the bottom stair.

"Morning, Hermione. Slept well?" Asked Mrs. Milbourne as she walked out from the kitchen.

"Slept some." Hermione replied.

"I suppose you were too excited to sleep." Chuckled Mrs. Milbourne. "They must be on their way now."

"I think so." Hermione said.

"Don't worry dear, this will all be over soon." Mrs. Milbourne said as she set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Hermione.

Hermione ate slowly, never noticing how much she ate. She couldn't stop thinking about the friends who were flying across the ocean to meet with her.

She was nervous.

She was scared.

But above all, she was hopeful that soon she'd be with her family.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Where to now?" Asked Ron as they stepped out the gate.

"Customs." Ginny said. "We have to go to baggage claim first and then customs."

"Where is it?" Ron said looking around.

"Just follow the signs." Harry pointed to a sign a few feet away.

The three walk quickly through the crowd trying to follow the signs toward baggage claim. They follow some of their fellow travelers who seemed to know their way through the airport.

"This thing is big." Ron complained after some time walking.

"It shouldn't be too far." Ginny panted as she tried to keep step to the two men beside her. "The sign we passed said it would be around here."

"I think we have to go down there." Said Harry as he noticed some people stepping into an escalator.

They followed and soon found themselves in a large space where several people are milling about waiting.

A sign above them said BAGGAGE CLAIM.

"Let's get our bags." Ginny said.

"But where?" Ron asked looking around the room.

"Carrousel 5." Harry replied. "There it is."

They walk across the room and wait along with others.

Ron looked around. He saw a large round platform in front of him. There was a chute that came down from the ceiling with a flap at the end of it. The platform began to move. Ron stepped back in surprise.

"Relax." Whispered Harry. "That's normal."

"Are you sure?" Asked Ron watching at the moving platform with some skepticism. "What is it for?"

"The luggage will come down from that chute." Explained Harry. "The platform will take it around so that people can see and take whatever belongs to them."

Ron looked at the platform with new interest. "How does it work?"

"I don't know." Laughed Harry. "But I'm sure we can find some engineer to explain it to you."

"Will you two be quiet." Chided Ginny.

The luggage started to chute down onto the platform. Some of the bags were quickly taken by other passengers, while others remained on the platform and went around several times. Finally, the bags belonging to them appeared and Ron and Harry quickly took them.

"Now, where?" Asked Ron putting the bags on a trolley.

"Through there." Pointed Ginny. Everybody was moving through a set of doors, a sign with CUSTOMS hanged above them.

They walked through the doors and walked to one of the lines to where the baggage was being examined.

"Do you bring any food or fruit with you?" They were asked as they pushed their bags on the belt.

"No." Responded Ginny.

"Anything that you haven't declared." The officer asked.

"No." Ginny said once more.

"All right. Take you bags and go through those doors, you'll need to present your passports and identification.

"Alright. Thank you." Ginny replied as Ron and Harry put their bags back onto the trolley.

They walked through the doors and queue in the line assigned for visitors.

"Do you have all your documents?" Asked Ginny as she hurried to take out her passport and identification card from her purse.

"Yeah." Said Ron.

Harry also looked for his papers and found them easily.

"How long will this queue last?" Ron asked with some impatience.

"We'll go through soon enough." Ginny replied.

The line moved up easily and the three friends quickly made their way to the customs stations. They presented their passports and are soon stamped through.

An officer showed them where to go to and they were soon passed through.

"And now?" Ron asked as he looked around.

"Back to the gates. We need to present our boarding pass to the gate I suppose." Harry said.

"What gate are we looking for now?" Ron asked looking down at the pass in their packet.

"It doesn't say." Ginny said.

"We have to go through ticketing once more." Harry replied.

"Do you mean we need to go out of the airport and in again?" Asked Ron incredulous.

"I expect there's an easier way to do it." Harry responded.

Harry looked around and saw an information booth nearby. "I'll ask." He said and walked to the booth.

After a few moments, Harry walked back to his friends. "She says we go a few yards this way and we can ticket through there."

"Let's go then. I don't want to miss that flight." Ron said.

They walked in the direction they were given and soon come to a ticketing station. They walked to an open counter and presented their bags and boarding passes.

"Alright. Go through that corridor and present your passport and boarding ticket to the guard. Gate 65A is nearby." The lady behind the counter told them.

"Thanks." Ginny replied.

They walked through the corridor and presented their passport and boarding ticket to the guard at the end.

"Well, that was faster that I expected." Said Ron. "I thought they were going to ask me to take off my shoes again."

"I expect they only ask you to when you first come in." Harry replied as they looked for the gate. "Once you're in, you don't need to."

"Thank Merlin for that." Ron replied.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione spent the rest of the day in a fog. She stayed in her room and watched some television while she packed some of her things. Some things she decided to leave, as she probably wouldn't have any need of it or she could buy in England if she did.

She had little that belonged to her, as she had always been aware that at any time she would have to leave, but now that the moment was near, she wasn't too happy to be doing so.

She would miss her friends, her job, and the peaceful life she had made for herself in this place. She had felt safe and happy, and now she was going to a life she didn't remembered and knew nothing about.

What kind of job had she had before she came here? What was her family like? What were her friends like? What were they all expecting from her?

She had so many questions, and no answers for them. She was afraid of what her future held, as well as her past.

What kind of person had she been? Where did she go to school? Where had she grown up? They were all questions that were constantly on her mind and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. What if she found out about things that she had done that were not good, what if she had gotten involved in things that might have led to her present situation?

She didn't know what to expect, and she was getting nervous about the prospect of meeting a group that were supposed to be her good friends.

Just one more day, she thought, just one more day.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"How long will it take to get there?" Ron asked as he strapped the seat belt across his lap.

"Two an half hours." Said Ginny. "Maybe three if there's some delay."

"Tell me again why do we have to fly? It would be faster to apparate, and distance is not a reason, it would be as if we're apparating from one end of England to another." Ron grumbled as he sat back on his seat.

Passengers were still passing by as the plane was being boarded.

Ginny looked around at the nearby seats before she answered.

"Will you stop complaining? You know why we are flying there. We must do it all properly we can't do anything that will look suspicious in any way. Don't you think that the police responsible for this case will take care to investigate us? To make sure that the people who left England are the same that get off the airplane." Ginny chided silently.

"Shacklebolt sent our pictures to the detective." Said Ron. "He'll know us when he sees us."

"But the wizard ministry in the area were also told and they will be looking at our actions closely to make sure that we're not Death Eaters." Harry said.

"Fine, fine. Forget I said anything." Sighed Ron with exasperation.

He knew he was being impatient. He had been from the beginning. But why couldn't they understand that he wanted all this over with? Why couldn't they understand that all he wanted was to see Hermione once more?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Night had fallen. Hermione sat on the bed, looking out the window. It was a cold air. The breeze shook the leaves on the bare limbs of the trees. Cars were driving by. People returning from work or visiting, and they were returning home; and Hermione sat watching them.

The room was in darkness. She had retired as soon as dinner was over. Johnny had gone to his parents' farm earlier that afternoon and had made sure to tell her goodbye. He also gifted her with a book about the history of the state and another full of pictures of the area. She had loved them and told him goodbye.

Detective Rivas and Doctor Milbourne had dined with them. They brought champagne and dessert to give Hermione a sent-off. They had eaten and drunk, before retiring to the living room where they talked about the group that was at that moment coming to meet them.

"They must be in New York at this moment." Detective Rivas had said at one time during the conversation.

"What time does their plane arrive?" Mrs. Milbourne had asked.

"A little past midnight." Detective Rivas had informed them. "I don't think they will be able to contact me until tomorrow afternoon. If I had traveled for that long, I would spend the whole morning in bed."

"They'll be jet-lagged." Said Doctor Milbourne. "A nice long nap will help."

"How soon should we expect them?" Hermione had asked.

"I would say a little after noon. I'll give you a call as soon as they contact me." Detective Rivas had said.

The conversation continued with speculation about the unknown group.

After Detective Rivas had left, Mrs. Milbourne and Doctor Milbourne had gone to the kitchen to clean up and told Hermione to rest.

She had retired to her room, where she now sat wondering about the things to come.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"I feel so knackered." Said Harry as he, Ron and Ginny pulled their luggage through the skyway to the place they were told they could find some taxis.

"I don't suppose we can call this detective now." Said Ron yawning behind his hand.

"No, we can't." Said Ginny. "We're all tired, we need to rest. Besides, he must be expecting us to contact him tomorrow."

They walked through the ramp that connected the main terminal with the public transportation station. They quickly took the elevator to the ground floor and saw several taxis parked before the doors.

"Need a taxi?" A man asked as they stepped out the doors.

"Yes, please." Said Ginny.

The man nodded and led them to a nearby cab. He held open the trunk and helped Ron and Harry with the luggage.

They all climbed into the backseat as the man climbed into the driver's seat. "Where you heading?" He asked.

"Plaza Hotel, downtown." Said Ginny.

"Okay. Sixth Street isn't it?" The driver asked.

"I think so." Harry answered.

The driver nodded as if he knew perfectly where to go and started the cab.

"Where you coming from?" The driver asked as the car pulled out of the station.

"England." Replied Ginny looking out the window at the darkened scenery.

"On town for business?" The driver drove into the ramp for the highway.

"You could say that." Ron yawned.

"Hope you can stay here for long. Lot's of places to visit." The driver said.

"We'll only be staying for a few days." Harry said.

"That's a shame. You'll have to return and see what you missed." The driver said as they traveled through the almost deserted highway. "The spring and summer is nice. Of course, there are some that prefer the winter. Really beautiful during the winter, if the roads don't get too muddy and slippery with the snow."

"It's not snowing yet, is it?" Asked Ginny with curiosity as she went over the clothing she had brought with her.

"No, not yet. Too early for snow. Once Halloween passes and we're getting ready for Thanksgiving, then we can look forward to some snow. But it won't be really wintry until mid-December." The driver informed her.

"Good, I don't think I brought anything for cold weather." Ginny sighed.

The car was driving off the highway into a main road. The streets were well-lit and there were enough cars on the road to show some sign of life.

There were tall buildings on each side of the street. It seemed that they had entered a commercial area of the city as they glimpsed restaurants and stores among the buildings.

The taxi stopped before one of the tall buildings. A couple of uniformed men stood by the large crystal doors in front of the building.

"That'll be twenty-five bucks." The driver said.

"Bucks?" Asked Ron as he pulled his wallet.

"Dollars." Clarified the driver.

"Oh, here. Keep the change." Said Ron as he handed the bills to the driver.

"Thanks." Said the driver as Ron and Harry opened the doors at each end.

The driver hurried to open the trunk and help them take down the luggage. The uniformed men hurried to help.

"Thank you." Said Ginny as the driver returned to his seat.

"Have a nice time." The driver said and climbed into the car.

The uniformed men were leading the young people into the lobby of the hotel. They walked across the carpeted floor to the reception counter.

"Good morning." Said the lady behind the counter.

"Morning." Yawned Ron.

"We have a reservation." Said Ginny to the receptionist.

"What name please?" The receptionist asked turning to the computer.

"Weasley." Said Ron instantly.

"Uh, could you spell it, please?" The receptionist asked.

"W-E-A-S-L-E-Y." Spelled Ginny.

"Okay. Two rooms, both with twin beds." The receptionist read. "Rooms Two-fourteen and Two-sixteen." She said.

A bellhop stepped forward to get the luggage and took the keys the receptionist held for him.

"Enjoy your stay." Said the receptionist.

"Thank you." Said Ginny.

"Could somebody wake us at ten?" Asked Ron before turning to follow the bellhop.

"Of course." The receptionist said pleasantly.

"Thanks." He said and hurried to catch up to his friends.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

It was early in the morning. The sun was still hidden but the sky was starting to clear.

Hermione turned on her side to watch the sky getting light as the sun slowly rose in the horizon.

They must be sleeping, she thought, they are here.

The expectation was getting high. She knew that it would still be some time until she saw them. Detective Rivas had said that it would be until after noon that they could contact him, as they got in very late during the night.

But she was impatient. She wanted to know what they looked like. She wanted to see their faces and hoped that their presence would trigger the elusive memories she still tried to recapture.

Hermione washed and dressed quickly, she wanted to be ready when Detective Rivas called later in the day.

She stood before the window, looking at the cloudy sky. It was going to rain, she thought, but it wouldn't matter, she was going to meet her friends.

She was going to meet her friends.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron had a hard time falling asleep. Harry's soft breathing on the other side of the room should've lulled him to sleep, but it hadn't done so. Instead, he had spent most of the night wondering about Hermione's whereabouts. By the time his eyes finally closed, the first glints of light were appearing through the windows.

At ten that morning, the phone started to ring.

"Ugh, will you get that?" Asked Ron as he emerged from under the blankets.

"Hello?" He heard Harry say as he picked up the phone. "Yeah, thanks." He said just before he hung up. "The lobby, they said you told them to wake us up at ten." He sounded a little put out.

"I must have been mad." Grumbled Ron.

"That is obvious." Harry said. "Might as well get up. We won't be able to sleep any more."

Ron gingerly got out of bed, his eyes were still closed and he could hear Harry walking around the room getting ready.

He sat on the bed for a few more minutes while Harry stepped into the bathroom.

There was a sharp knock on the door.

Ron stood and walked gingerly to the door.

"Yeah?" He asked opening the door a little.

"It's me, just wanted to make sure you were up." Said Ginny on the other side of the door.

"We are." Mumbled Ron as he let his sister into the room.

"Where's Harry." She asked as she noticed that both beds were empty but only one of them was in the room.

"In the bathroom." Ron murmured as he opened his luggage to choose his clothes for the day.

"You better get ready. I called room service, they should be up in a few minutes." Ginny warned him.

"All right." He mumbled.

"Why are you moody now?" Ginny snapped, her nerves were too frayed to deal with her brother's moods.

"He just didn't get enough sleep." Said Harry as he came out of the bathroom in time to hear Ginny's complaint.

"Honestly, Ron! You knew we were going to have a full day." Ginny complained.

"Leave it!" Ron growled and walked purposely toward the bathroom, leaving his friend and sister to watch him with worry.

"He's just nervous." Harry said as way of an explanation.

"I know." Ginny sighed. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Never mind, he'll get over it." Harry said as he dumped his pajamas in one of the drawers.

"I suppose." Ginny said. "I called for room service, they should be here in a few minutes." She continued.

"Thanks." Said Harry. "We should plan on what to do next."

"We know what to do next." Ron said from the bathroom door. "Shacklebolt told us to meet this woman at some bookshop."

"Corner of fourth avenue and eleventh street." Ginny said. "We're on sixth street, it shouldn't be too far from here."

"So we can walk there." Harry replied.

A knock on the door and a call of "room service" stopped their discussion.

Ginny hurried to the door. "Thanks." She said as a man rolled a cart into the room with covered trays.

Ron handed him a bill just before he left.

"Let's eat, and then we'll go in search of this bookstore." Harry said.

They ate their fill.

Ron was impatient to be off, but Ginny and Harry urged him to partake of their substantial meal.

"We don't know how long it will be until we get something to eat." Ginny had said when Ron didn't want to eat more than a piece of toast and some coffee.

"We might be away for a while, Ron. Eat." Harry had said in response to Ginny's urging.

"Alright. But we leave as soon as we're done." Ron capitulated.

"Of course." Both Harry and Ginny said.

Ron was the first to leave the table once they had eaten as much as they could. He hurried to wash up while Ginny and Harry waited their turn to do so.

"Hurry up!" Ron urged as he waited for his sister and friend to be ready to depart.

"We're almost done." Ginny chided as she left the bathroom and allowed Harry to get in.

Ron sighed and sat on one of the chairs waiting impatiently for his friend to finish up.

"You're only going to be more nervous." Ginny said as she watched him warily.

"I'm not nervous." Ron snapped.

"Of course not, that's why you're tapping your fingers on the armchair." Smiled Ginny.

"Oh, stuff it!" Ron exclaimed.

"Let's go before he gets even worst." Harry said as he stepped out of the bathroom.

The three friends left the hotel soon after.

After asking for directions from one of the valets outside, they continued walking down the street.

The place was buzzing with shoppers as they walked from one building to another buying from the shops lining the streets.

At the corner of Fourth Avenue, they turned left, toward Eleventh Street. They were surprised to find that it wasn't long until they found their way to Madam Hitchins' Books on the Occult.

"What's the name of the woman we're supposed to meet?" Asked Ron as he watched the dark sign swinging above the door.

"Martina Donaldson." Said Ginny checking on her notes.

"Well, there's no time like the present." Said Harry and reached for the door.

The door opened softly at his push. A slight twinkle of bells was heard as they stepped in. A woman with white hair and large blue eyes stepped from behind the counter.

"Hello, how can I help you?" She asked pleasantly as she watched the three young people with interest.

"We're looking for Martina Donaldson?" Said Ginny before any of the boys could say anything.

"I'm Martina Donaldson." The woman said.

"Hello. Ron Weasley." Ron introduced himself. "My sister, Ginny, and my friend, Harry Potter." He said pointing to his companions.

As usual, Harry's name brought interest to his person and the woman's eyes traveled toward his brow where the lightning-shaped scar could still be seen.

"I see." She said with interest.

"We were sent by the British Ministry." Harry said with some harshness. He was rather tired of the interest his person usually brought from members of the magical community.

"You're the ones that are supposed to pick up a lost woman." Martina Donaldson said in a business like tone.

"We are." Said Ron eagerly.

"Right. I have the name of the Detective you're supposed to contact." She said returning to the back of the counter. "Need to see your id's first." She said.

The three pulled out the id badges Shacklebolt had given them. Ron and Harry also pulled out their Auror badge and Ginny presented her St. Mungo's badge.

"You understand I have to check these." Martina Donaldson said as she pulled out her wand.

"Of course." Ron nodded.

Martina waved her wand over the badges and waited until a blue glow surrounded them.

"Right." She said. "Now you." She waved her wand once more, this time toward the three young people before her.

Ron and Harry stood still, as Ginny looked down at her hands as their bodies glowed blue for a few seconds.

"All clear." Martina said as she handed their badges back. "We have to be sure, you know."

"We understand." Said Ron as he took back his badge and handed the rest to Harry and Ginny. "We would've done the same."

"I have his card around here." Martina was saying as she looked through a drawer behind the counter. "Ah, here it is."

She took out a business card and handed it to Ron.

"I spoke to him." She said. "Told him you would contact him today. He said he would be waiting."

"Can I use your phone?" Ron asked.

"Sure." Martina said pointing to the phone at the end of her counter. "You don't need to dial the area code, it's local."

"Thanks." Ron said and took the phone with eager hands.

Harry and Ginny looked around the shop. There were books on magic, the paranormal and psychic predictions. There were also what looked like crystal balls and tarot cards on display.

"Those are not real, are they?" Asked Harry as he walked toward the display unit with the crystal balls.

"No, they're just for Muggles." Martina said with a shrug. "Not that they would know if it was real. I got all the real ones in the back. Are you looking for one?"

Harry laughed. "No, I got enough of them at Hogwarts, thank you."

"If you say so." Martina looked disappointed.

"Hello?" They heard Ron say to someone on the phone. "Detective Rivas? Hi, my name is Ron Weasley, from England."

The others remained quiet as they tried to listen to Ron.

"Yes, for Hermione. Can we see her today? Great, where should we meet? The hotel? Plaza Hotel, downtown. Yes, that one." Ron was saying as the rest looked on quietly. "In the lobby, right. See you there."

"Well?" Asked Ginny as Ron hung up the phone.

"He'll meet is in the lobby in half an hour." Ron said.

"Good, let's go then. We'll wait for him there." Harry replied.

"Yeah. Thank you." Ron said turning to look at Martina.

"Anytime. You know where to find me if you need to stock up on anything while you're here." Martina said as she waved them goodbye.

"Thank you." Harry and Ginny called as they left the room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was waiting patiently in the living room.

She had been up since early that morning, hoping to hear from Detective Rivas soon.

She ate her breakfast silently, as Doctor Milbourne and her mother chatted distractedly from the other side of the table.

They were all distracted by what was to happen later that day.

Hermione had then retired to the living room, where she tried to distract herself with a book. But she didn't succeed. She put away the book after spending half an hour looking at the same page.

"Oh, honestly!" She exclaimed with exasperation as she pushed the book away.

It was nearing noon and Detective Rivas had not called. Hermione was becoming extremely impatient.

"Oh, I wished I had somewhere to go." She sighed, but she knew that even if she did have somewhere to go to, she would still be waiting in the living room for Detective Rivas' call, she wouldn't dare miss it.

She was looking out the window toward the park across the street when the phone rang.

She jolted out of the chair and walked toward the doorway, listening as Mrs. Milbourne answered the phone.

"Hello?" She heard Mrs. Milbourne say. "Oh, Detective Rivas, yes, just a minute. Hermione!" She called.

"I'm here." Hermione said walking cautiously toward the phone.

"Be positive, hun." Mrs. Milbourne said as she passed the phone to Hermione.

Hermione nodded and took the phone gingerly.

"Hello." Hermione said into the receiver. "Hello Detective Rivas."

"Hello, Hermione." She heard Detective Rivas say. "I just got a call from Ron Weasley."

"Is he one of them?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"He is. I'm meeting them in half an hour, they want to see you." Detective Rivas replied. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Said Hermione as her stomach felt as if million of butterflies were flying inside it.

"All right, I'll give you a call when we're on our way." Detective Rivas said.

"Okay, thanks." Hermione said before she hung up the phone.

"Well?" Asked Doctor Milbourne as she and her mother stood in the kitchen's doorway waiting for her answer.

"He's meeting them in half an hour and will call when they're on their way." Hermione said.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was pacing as they waited in one of the waiting rooms in the lobby. They had left word at the front desk that a Detective Rivas should join them. Now, they were waiting for his arrival.

"Ron, sit down, you're making me nervous." Complained Ginny.

"I can't help it." Ron snapped. "I don't feel like sitting down."

"Stop pacing, then." Said Ginny. "That isn't helping."

"It helps me." Ron exclaimed.

"Don't start rowing, I don't fancy meeting this bloke while you two are at each other's throats." Interrupted Harry.

"Sorry." Said Ginny and Ron instantly.

"What is taking him so long?" Asked Ron.

"The traffic must be keeping him." Ginny said.

"You saw the traffic out there." Harry said, agreeing with Ginny. "It must be difficult to find somewhere to park in these streets."

"I suppose that's the reason there are so many buses going through this area." Ginny said thoughtfully. "I'm sure I saw at least fifteen pass us by on our way back from the book shop."

Ron shrugged. "It makes no matter, he should be here."

"I'm sure he'll arrive soon, Ron." Ginny said.

It wasn't long when the door opened and tall man entered the room.

"Good afternoon, I'm Detective Rivas." He said with an easy smile.

"Hello." They answered.

"I'm Ron Weasley." Ron took charge. Ginny and Harry smiled but didn't interrupt while he continued with his introductions. "My sister, Ginevra Weasley." Ginny smiled but Harry knew she wished Ron had called her Ginny instead of Ginevra, she never liked being called by her first name. "And my colleague and friend, Harry Potter."

"Nice meeting you, call me Ginny." Ginny said as she shook hands with the detective.

"Nice meeting you too, Ginny." Smiled Detective Rivas. "Mr. Potter."

"Detective." Harry shook hands with the detective. He was always happy to meet muggles, as they treated him as they would any other person and not the savior of their world.

"How's Hermione?" Asked Ginny before any of the men could say anything.

"She's fine. She's very eager to meet you." Said Detective Rivas, looking at the young people before him with curiosity.

They were the same age as Hermione, which made sense as they were supposed to be dear friends of hers. He could not help but recognize their accent as it was the same as Hermione's when he first met her. And they seemed eager to know more about Hermione.

"Does she really don't remember anything?" Asked Ron with apprehension. For so long he had hoped that the reports they had been given had been erroneous and that her situation was not as dire as it had been reported.

"She hasn't since she woke up." Detective Rivas reported. "The doctor treating her says that her memories would return with time, but there has been no sign of any at the moment."

"There are doctors in England who have been made known of her situation." Harry said. "They are certain that they can help her with this."

The detective shrugged. "I can't say much about her medical condition, the doctor should be able to tell you more about it. She did say that her memory was bound to return if Hermione returned to familiar surroundings. Which is the reason behind our search for her family and friends."

"We've been looking all over for her." Ron said with a resentful glance thinking that the detective was blaming them for Hermione's situation.

"We thought she was still in Europe, you see." Intervened Harry before Ron could lose his temper.

"I imagine she was smuggled in some way." Said the detective. "There's no record of her entering the country through normal channels, we would've found her name before if we had found something about her identity."

"What did you call her when you didn't know?" Asked Ginny.

"Jane." Said the detective. "It's the name we give to anybody we find with no identification. Jane Doe."

"Well, you got her name partly right." Said Ron.

The detective turned to look at him with surprise. "We did?"

"Yes, Jane is her middle name." Ron replied.

"I didn't know that, it wasn't in the papers I was sent from England." The detective responded.

"It wouldn't be." Said Harry. "She never uses Jane, only Hermione."

"I see. If you're ready we can go now." The detective said with a slight glance at his watch.

"Yes. We should go." Said Ron.

"Ok, just let me do a phone call and I'll be ready to take you to her." The detective said pulling a cellular phone from his pocket.

Ron watched him impatiently as they waited.

"Hello? Yes, it's me. Get ready." They heard him say before he closed the phone and turned back to them.

"All set?" At their assent, he smiled. "Let's go then."

Detective Rivas let them through the lobby of the hotel and out to the crowded street.

"I had to park my car a few blocks away." He said turning to look back t the young people following him. "It's hard to find somewhere to park in the area most times. Too many stores and offices here."

"We noticed." Said Ginny looking around the crowded street.

They had noticed the great number of people seen around the streets on their earlier walk and as the day progressed, the streets seemed to be getting more crowded.

"Holiday season is coming up." Detective Rivas was saying. "And some people like to start their shopping ahead of others. The problem is that a lot of people have the same idea so there's a lot of people milling about the place."

"But we're still on October." Pointed Harry.

"Well, Halloween is around the corner so people are looking about for costumes. A lot of parties are planned for Halloween, especially since this year it falls on a weekend. And then we have Thanksgiving, so a lot of people are already getting ready for it." Detective Rivas explained.

They didn't have too long to walk. A few blocks from the hotel they came upon a parking lot, and Detective Rivas walked directly into it.

He opened the doors and they all climbed into the car.

"What are your plans after meeting with Hermione?" He asked as he started up the car.

"I thought we should go out somewhere." Said Ron, looking at Ginny questioningly.

"Yeah, to give here some time to accustom herself to our presence." Said Ginny approvingly.

"Sounds good. Are you taking her to England any time soon?" The detective asked as he drove through the congested streets.

"Our plane leaves Monday morning." Replied Harry. He looked out the window thoughtfully, did the detective think it was too soon to take her? "There are a lot of people who want to see her."

"I expect so." Sighed the detective. "We'll be sorry to see her go. She made some good friends on her stay here. She's very friendly."

Detective Rivas was surprised to hear some chuckling from the back seat. He glanced at the rearview mirror and saw the three young people chuckling softly on their seats. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley wore a look of reminiscence that grabbed his attention.

"Did I say anything wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"No." Chuckled Ginny. "It's just – "

"The Hermione we remember wouldn't exactly be called friendly." Explained Harry.

"More like a shrew sometimes." Laughed Ron.

"Ron!" Chided Ginny gently.

"Well, you know it's the truth. Harry and I would never had completed any of our school work if it weren't for Hermione nagging us to do it." Said Ron.

"Honestly! I would've thought that you, of all people, would have only nice things to say about her." Ginny replied.

"Look, just because we love her and missed her a lot since she's been missing doesn't mean we're not aware of her faults. That should say more about how much we care for her. After all, we love her in spite of them, don't we?" Said Ron.

Ginny only shook her head and continued to look out the window.

Detective Rivas was surprised of hearing that description of Hermione. The woman he had come to know was nothing like the person they were describing, and for a brief moment he was afraid that they had gotten everything wrong and that the person waiting for them at Mrs. Milbourne's house was not the person they had come in search for.

He took a deep breath and chided himself. Don't be foolish, he told himself, don't make trouble where there is none.

They had left downtown several streets away and were now a few minutes from their destination.

"We're nearly there." Detective Rivas said.

The young people in the back seat sat up straight and looked out the windows eagerly, hoping to catch their first glance of their destination.

"Do you think she has changed much?" Asked Ginny fearfully.

"I suppose she must have." Said Ron thoughtfully. "Not physically, of course, but in other ways. Her injuries must have had some affecting change in her."

"We now know that her personality changed some, we must expect others." Harry warned.

"The question is, will she ever be the same person she was before the attack." Said Ron feeling some apprehension.

"I don't think she will." Replied Ginny. "But I'm sure that with treatment and the help from the healers she will regain something of her former life."

Harry and Ron quickly turned to look at the detective to see if he had caught Ginny's slip up. Even Ginny looked horrified at her mistake and turned to look his way. But the detective seemed not to have noticed.

They had arrived to a quiet neighborhood. There were lots of trees on sidewalks and gardens. The limbs were almost bare but some still had golden leaves flying in the cool air. At one side of the street was a large park. They could see children playing and couples walking across the sweeping lawns.

"We're here." Detective Rivas' sudden announcement took them by surprise and shook them from their thoughts.

Detective Rivas parked his car in front of a house in a corner of a street. The park was across the street and row of houses lined up beside it.

Ron glanced up to the house. It looked well taken care of, as he noticed that it was one of the few where leaves had been cleaned from the lawn. The fence around it was painted white and looked well kept. The windows facing the front of the house were curtained and he noticed that somebody was glancing out from one.

Could it be Hermione? He asked himself.

They were now standing in front of the house and the young people were filled with a sense of anticipation as their search seemed to have come to an end.

"They should be waiting for us." Detective Rivas said and started walking up the door with the others following close behind.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione had been on tenterhooks since Detective Rivas had called her from the hotel. He was on his way with the group from England and she was eager to meet them.

"Relax, Hermione." Said Doctor Milbourne, who had decided to wait in the living room with Hermione to keep her company. "They'll be here soon."

"I'm very nervous about this." Hermione confessed as she stood by the front window, looking out to the park across the street.

"It's understandable." Said Doctor Milbourne. "And I'm sure that they must be feeling the same way you are."

"Do you think so?" It was clear from her question that Hermione had never thought that the people coming to meet her would feel any apprehension at all.

"Of course. They must have worried about you for so long." Said Doctor Milbourne. "That I'm sure they must feel as you do at the prospect of seeing this through."

"I suppose you're right." Sighed Hermione. "I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Some." Smiled Doctor Milbourne.

Hermione smiled wryly and turned to pace around the room.

They were shaken from their thoughts at the sound of a car driving up the street.

Doctor Milbourne hurried to the window. Hermione stood by the fireplace, waiting.

"I think it's them." Doctor Milbourne announced.

Hermione stood petrified where she stood. She didn't seem to be able to say anything, not even to move from her spot. The time had come for her to meet the people who had come across the ocean to take her home.

A few moments later, the doorbell rang.

"I'll open it." Called Mrs. Milbourne who had been on her way to the living room from the kitchen.

Doctor Milbourne and Hermione waited in the living room while Mrs. Milbourne walked to open the door to their visitors.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron stood impatiently in front of the door with Harry, Ginny and the detective. He knew somebody had seen them arrive, whether it had been Hermione or not, he didn't know, but he was chafing at the prospect of having to wait.

Detective Rivas had pressed the doorbell, now they had to wait for somebody to open the door to them.

The door opened and an older woman stood before them.

"Hello, Detective Rivas. Nice seeing you again." She said at the sight of the young detective waiting at her door.

"Hello, Mrs. Milbourne. I bring some visitors with me." He said turning to look at his companions. "Ron Weasley, his sister, Ginevra, and Harry Potter." He said introducing each of the young people waiting with him.

"Hello there. We've been waiting for you." Mrs. Milbourne greeted them. "Come in, it's beginning to get chilly out here." She opened the door wide and allowed them to walk into the house before she closed the door behind them. "They're waiting for you in the living room." She said motioning toward the room closest to the door.

Detective Rivas smiled and led his companions into the room.

Hermione stood by the fireplace, waiting apprehensively. She could hear Mrs. Milbourne speaking to somebody by the door and she had to fight the urge to run out and see whom she was talking to.

Soon enough, the footsteps were nearing the living room.

She waited eagerly, and taking a deep breath she tried to bridle her nerves.

Detective Rivas was the first one to walk into the room. He was followed by three young people. She looked at them eagerly, there was something about them that pulled her toward them, even if their faces weren't familiar to her. The woman and one of the men had fiery red hair, their similarities led her to believe that they were related to each other. The second man was clearly not related to the others as his messy black hair and bright green eyes contrasted with the others light coloring.

Harry and Ginny looked around the room with curiosity, they hadn't seen Hermione standing in a corner of the room by the fireplace. But Ron did. He glimpsed her the moment they had entered the room.

His eyes watched her excitedly, it had been so long since the last time he had seen her. He could still remember their last night together and it was that memory that had carried him through the long months of their search. "Hermione." He whispered.

Before anybody could say or do anything to stop him, he walked purposely toward her and grasping her arms he pulled her against him.

"I've missed you so much." He said and to Hermione's surprise, and that of the others, he kissed her.

* * *

A/N: Whew! There you go, this is the longest chapter I've written for this story, I hope you don't mind. The rest are not going to be as long as this one, usually they are about 8 to 10 pages long in Microsoft Word, this one is 23 pages long (without spaces between paragraphs), I just got carried away with this one. Now, I've never traveled from England to the United States, I've only travel within the continental United States and once to South America a few years ago, so the process for international flights might not be accurate. I hope that any mistakes might be forgiven. If you have traveled from England to the United States and know that the experience is completely different from the one I described, let me know, I like to be as accurate in my stories as I can. Thank you all for your reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.

Happy Reading!

Alexa


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I'm sorry it has taken me this long to update, this chapter was meant to be uploaded last weekend, but some issues had to be dealt with and I was not able to do so until tonight, and I'm sorry that you had to wait too long for it. I'm so glad that many of you enjoyed the last chapter; it is the longest of the story so far and a treat for me to write. This chapter is not as long as the last, but an important one all the same. I hope you'll enjoy it.

_

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

_**Chapter 8 Old Faces, New Faces**_

Hermione was startled as his lips fell on hers hungrily, and for a moment she had been afraid that she was in the arms of some lunatic. She tensed and her mind went blank, but her body seemed to be familiar with his as it responded readily to his caress and on its own volition it turned receptive to the embrace. Unwittingly, her lips softened and the kiss deepened.

Ron was exultant as he felt Hermione's pliable body relax against him. Everything else faded into the background as he relished the fact that Hermione was back into his arms again.

Everybody in the room was silent. Harry could see that Ginny watched amused but Detective Rivas' look of surprised was mirrored by the others.

"We should stop them." Whispered Harry to Ginny.

Ginny nodded and silently walked toward the embracing couple.

"Ron!" She said as she touched her brother's shoulder. "Ron, you're scaring her." She chided softly.

Ron eased back and looked down at the bewildered face of his beloved. "You're right." He whispered. "I'm sorry."

"I - It's alright." Hermione stuttered. Her emotions were running rampant and she was struggling to gather her wits and control herself.

"Well." Exclaimed Mrs. Milbourne with a laughing glance to Hermione. "I guess we now know who her fiancé is."

Hermione blushed. She had known of course, she still had the engagement ring found on her finger when she arrived at the hospital, at the moment, that ring was safely tucked away in a jewelry box among her luggage.

Ron turned to look at the others with surprise. For a moment, he had forgotten they had been there all along.

"You must excuse my brother." Said Ginny turning to their audience. "He gets a little emotional sometimes."

"Emotional? I am not emotional." Exclaimed Ron, taking umbrage at his sister's description of him, while taking stock of the emotional state he found himself in.

"We understand. Why don't we all take a seat?" Invited Mrs. Milbourne, breaking the silence that had befallen the room.

"Good idea." Replied Detective Rivas, snapping from his reverie. "Why don't I introduce everybody?" He quickly added as they all scrambled to get a seat.

Ginny pulled a reluctant Ron away from Hermione toward Harry, who had taken a seat in the largest couch.

Hermione took the chair by the fireplace, while Mrs. and Doctor Milbourne took the loveseat by the door. Only Detective Rivas remained standing.

"Our visitors from England." He began. "Ron Weasley, his sister Ginny, and Harry Potter."

"It's so nice to finally meet you." Said Doctor Milbourne as Ron, Ginny and Harry nodded to her in turn.

Hermione sat in silence as she watched the group. She knew those names should be familiar to her, especially Ron Weasley's as it was clear that he meant a lot more than the others. And was rather saddened to find that they were not familiar at all.

"It's nice to meet you too." Replied Ginny pleasantly.

"Mrs. Milbourne has been Hermione's hostess and Doctor Milbourne has been in charge of Hermione's case from the moment she was found." Detective Rivas explained.

"Thank you for your help." Said Ron to both women. "We truly appreciate what you've done for Hermione."

"We've been glad to do it." Replied Mrs. Milbourne with a smile. "She's been great company."

"As you've been, Mrs. Milbourne." Exclaimed Hermione, after successfully gaining a modicum of control over her frayed nerves. She had remained silent as the introductions took place and she had known that she shouldn't keep silent for long. It just seemed to go against her nature.

Ginny looked her over. Hermione had remained quiet as the introductions took place and remained in the corner, as if hiding and trying not to gain the attention of anybody in the room. She hadn't changed much, Ginny thought, she still looked the same, but something else had changed. The Hermione she remembered would never hide in the corner and remain silent after a stunt like that, especially if it had been Ron the one doing the stunt. It was like meeting a stranger who just happened to look like her best friend.

"Thank you, Hermione. You'll be missed, you know." Said Mrs. Milbourne with a saddened smile.

"Well, I think we should leave you to get reacquainted." Cut in Doctor Milbourne. "Let us know if you need anything."

"Oh yes, of course." Exclaimed Mrs. Milbourne. "We'll be in the kitchen."

Ginny and Harry said their thanks as Ron glanced at Hermione. Hermione blushed and looked down at her hands clasped on her lap.

Detective Rivas seemed reluctant to leave them, but at the end, he followed Mrs. and Doctor Milbourne out of the room.

Harry, Ron and Ginny seemed relieved and quickly turned their attention to Hermione, who smiled shyly at their direction.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Do you think it wise to have left them so soon, wouldn't it had been better to wait a little more until Hermione was more comfortable in their presence." Asked Detective Rivas as he and his companions walked into the kitchen. He seemed ready to return to the living room, and he would have done so if it had not been for Doctor Milbourne's restraining hand on his arm.

"Hermione needs to be with them. This is what we've been waiting for since she was found. It's best if we step back and let them take charge. She will be leaving with them soon, after all." She said. "And I'm sure she'll be seeing a lot more of them once they return home."

"Especially that red-headed one." Chuckled Mrs. Milbourne. "Never thought I would ever see that sort of scene in my life."

Doctor Milbourne giggled. "He did take us by surprise, especially Hermione."

Detective Rivas smiled. "It was funny. I never would've imagined he was her fiancé, I thought the other one was more her type."

"We really can't say who is her type." Said Doctor Milbourne. "We didn't meet her before the accident, and I imagine her personality must have undergone some sort of change after. They are going to be the ones to notice those changes."

"The question is, what it's going to happen now? I don't imagine they will marry, not while she continues in her condition. They'll have to wait." Mrs. Milbourne said.

"If not cancel it for good." Doctor Milbourne sighed.

"I just wished they would stay longer." Sighed Detective Rivas. "I just think it's too soon for her to leave. They need time."

"It's better this way." Replied Doctor Milbourne. "The sooner she returns to familiar places and sees her family, the sooner she'll regain her memory. It's been too long as it is."

"How long will it take, do you know?" Asked Mrs. Milbounre, who was tossing a salad vigorously on the counter as the younger couple sat around the kitchen table.

"Can't say for sure." Said Doctor Milbourne with a shrug. "I have no idea what their methods will be like, so I can't speculate on the matter."

"As long as they do their best." Sighed Detective Rivas.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A lull fell upon the young people remaining in the living room as soon as the Milbournes and Detective Rivas left the room.

Hermione sat on her chair unsure of what to say, she felt awkward and shy, and her visitors seemed to feel the same.

"I'm glad to finally see you again, Hermione." Ginny finally spoke. "You have no idea how worried we've been."

"Really?' Asked Hermione with surprise.

"Of course." Said Ron vehemently. "Harry and I worked tirelessly on your case. The whole family was worried."

"Until we were take from the case." Mumbled Harry, but Hermione heard him.

"Why? Why were you taken from the case?" Asked Hermione curiously.

"Our superiors thought we were too close to the case and might be getting obsessed with it." Explained Ron with displeasure. "I still think we would've found you sooner if it hadn't been for those gits."

"Ron." Chided Ginny and Ron pursed his lips petulantly.

"You work in law enforcement, then?" Asked Hermione, wanting to know more about these people who claimed had been great friends of hers.

"Harry and I do." Ron replied. "We're Aurors."

Ginny stabbed her elbow sharply in his arm.

"Ow!" Ron exclaimed and turned to glare at his sister.

"Auror?" Asked Hermione, but she hadn't missed Ginny's actions.

"Detectives." Clarified Harry in a hurry. "We're detectives. Aurors is a sort of nickname used for us." He added.

"Oh." Exclaimed Hermione even thought she didn't know if she should take his explanation at face value as it was clear to her that they were trying to keep things for her. "What about you, Ginny. Do you work in law enforcement as well?"

Ginny was still glaring at her brother, but took a deep breath before turning to look at Hermione.

"No. I'm studying medicine." She said. "I'm finishing my schooling in a London hospital."

"You're almost done, then." Said Hermione watching Ginny with interest. The young woman before her seemed too young to be doing residency. She had listened to Doctor Milbourne tell about her years in residency many times, and it always seemed that medicine was one of those careers that took a lot of time and studying.

"No, I still have lots to learn before I complete my training." Ginny said pleasantly, as if she was pleased that Hermione was asking about her interests.

"I see." Hermione seemed thoughtful for a moment.

Hermione was deeply curious about these people, but couldn't think of any proper questions for them.

Finally, she spoke once more. "Have I known you long?" She asked hesitantly.

"For more than ten years." Ron answered with a reminiscent smile.

"That is a long time." Exclaimed Hermione.

"We met in our first day of Secondary School." Explained Harry.

"Ginny was a year behind." Added Ron. "So technically, you've only known her for nine."

"Oh. What school did we go to?" Asked Hermione with excitement.

Here was a group of people who knew more about her than she did herself, they could tell her about everything she could no longer remember, and she was excited about that.

Ron and Harry shared a quick glance. Ginny was chewing her bottom lip worriedly.

"It was a private school in Scotland." Said Harry. "We stayed there for all seven years."

"Was it a good school then." Hermione asked.

She seemed so curious and Ginny was feeling guilty that they couldn't tell her too many details about Hogwarts. But she was tempted, by Merlin, was she tempted.

"It is the best." Exclaimed Ron, not knowing if it was right the indignation he felt that anybody would have doubts about Hogwarts.

"Of course, we are a little biased." Said Ginny.

"But it is considered to be one of the best of its kind in Europe." Replied Harry.

"If not the best." Expostulated Ron doggedly.

Hermione smiled and looked forward to seeing this school and the many other places she knew would help her remember who she was, and to look into the relationship she clearly had with the people sitting before her.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mrs. Milbourne was just finishing their meal when Detective Rivas decided to return to the living room.

"We should check up on them." He said walking out the kitchen.

Doctor Milbourne looked at her mother and rolled her eyes.

Mrs. Milbourne chuckled. "I think he's going to miss all the mystery this case gave him."

"I'm not sure if that's all he's going to miss." Doctor Milbourne said and followed the detective's footsteps.

Hermione was not surprised to hear footsteps coming toward them half an hour after the initial introductions. She had known Detective Rivas and Doctor Milbourne would be curious about her guests and their plans.

"So, how are we doing?" Asked Detective Rivas as he entered the living room.

"We're fine." Said Hermione.

"We thought to go out somewhere for dinner." Said Ginny. "Maybe look around a bit. We've anxious to see more of this place."

"That's a good idea." Interjected Doctor Milbourne happily.

"I can give you a ride." Offered Detective Rivas.

"We thought a cab would be better." Said Harry. "We don't want to bother you."

"Oh, it wouldn't be a bother." Said Detective Rivas.

"But a cab is a good idea." Said Doctor Milbourne. "It would give you more time to know each other better."

"Er, yes. I suppose it would be better." Detective Rivas acknowledged. He was not eager to hand Hermione to these visitors. They didn't know much about them after all, how were they supposed to know if they were trustworthy? But the doctor was right. Only spending more time with them, would Hermione get to know them better. And they were leaving in a few days, the more they knew about them, the better he would feel about closing this case.

"I already called." Said Hermione. "It should be here soon."

No sooner had she said that, that a horn was heard in front of the house.

"It's here." Said Doctor Milbourne who had moved to the window to look out.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione took their coats and lined up by the door getting ready to leave.

"I'll see you later." Said Hermione smiling at her benefactors.

"Be careful." Said Mrs. Milbourne who had come out of the kitchen to see them off. "Call if you need anything."

"Sure thing." Said Harry as the door was opened and Ron was walking out.

"Thank you for your help." Ginny called before she closed the door behind her.

Detective Rivas sighed. "Are you sure it's right to let them go on their own?"

"It's best." Doctor Milbourne said. "The more time she spends with them, the better. She has to feel comfortable with them, she's leaving with them in a matter of days. From now on, she's going to be relying on them as much as she did with us."

Detective Rivas nodded but it was clear that he was still wary about their visitors and their connection to Hermione.

"Our meal is almost done. Do you want to eat in the kitchen or in the dining room?" Asked Mrs. Milbourne.

"In the kitchen." Said Doctor Milbourne. "Why bother to serve in the dining room if it's just the three of us."

The women walked back to the kitchen, Detective Rivas walked slowly behind them.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Where should we go?" Asked Ron unwittingly lookingto Hermione for ideas as he had done on similar occasions when they were living together.

"Well, there is this nice little restaurant downtown." Hermione said somewhat thoughtfully, she had been downtown many times during the three months she had been living with Mrs. Milbourne, but had never had the opportunity to dine in one of the many restaurants in the downtown area. She had been struck by one the last time she had been downtown. It was smaller and less sophisticated than the other ones she had seen, but it seemed cozy and had a familiar air to it that attracted her immediately. She had been curious and eager to go in, but had never had the opportunity. Now, it was the perfect time to go, she thought.

"Well, let's go there." Said Harry with a shrug and ordered the driver to go to the downtown area.

"Whereabouts?" The driver asked as he pulled from the curb.

"It's on Eighth and First." Hermione said. "In the corner."

"Right." The driver said and he turned into the main street.

The young people were rather silent on the drive. Hermione was still nervous about this meeting, and Ron was assailed by mental scenes that were rather different from the present.

Ginny didn't know who to feel sorrier for, Hermione or her brother. Ron had been searching for his beloved for what had seemed like an eternity and now that they had finally found her, Ginny had become aware that Hermione's condition meant that her brother's wishes would not be coming true, at least not for a while.

Harry was happy that they had found Hermione. For three months they had searched and looked everywhere without any good news. Now that search was over and all they had to do was help her regain her memory back.

It wasn't long until Hermione recognized the familiar sight that was downtown. Soon after, the cab was stopping at the corner of Eighth and First.

Ron paid the driver as the others climbed out of the car. They stood on the corner as the cab drove away.

"The restaurant is over here." Hermiione guided her new friends toward the small restaurant she had seen.

Shoppers were still around and people were coming and going in all directions, which created a bit of a problem for the young people to remain together and make their way through the crowd.

Hermione caught sight of the familiar structure soon. "There it is." She said to her new friends.

Harry, Ron and Ginny looked toward the building Hermione had pointed to. They looked at each other with a slight smile.

"Should we go in, do you reckon?" Asked Harry looking a bit amused.

"We might as well, if we tell her we don't want to she'll ask questions." Ron replied.

"But she's going to notice certain things, in there." Said Ginny.

"Nothing for it, we'll see what can be done to undo any damage. If nothing works, we can always obliviate her." Ron said with a slight shrug.

The conversation had taken place in whispers and Hermione had not heard it as she looked toward the small restaurant nestled between two large shops. She didn't know what attracted her to it. It was not like the others around the area. In fact, shoppers seemed uninterested in it as they walked by without paying any attention to it. They looked into the window displays of the shops at either side but they never showed any interest in the small restaurant. Hermione shrugged. Maybe she was imagining things.

She turned to look at her new acquaintances that stood nearby. "Are you not hungry?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. Let's go in, shall we?" Replied Ron and opened the door for his companions to enter.

A lady dressed in green flowing robes stood behind the counter by the entrance.

"Hi! Welcome to The Bewitching Cove." She greeted them with a smile. "Four to dine?"

"Yes, please." Replied Harry. "Do you, perhaps, have any private rooms?"

"Well, we have what we call private alcoves for small parties." The woman answered.

"We'll take one." Said Ron.

The woman nodded and stepped from behind the counter to lead them through the restaurant toward one of the private alcoves.

Hermione watched with curiosity at everything around her. She had been surprised to see the costume the woman was wearing, although her companions had not seemed too taken by it. The restaurant was lit by candles. There were candles everywhere. A large chandelier hung in the center of the room, hundred of candles were lit on it, giving off a bright light for the whole room. There were candleholders throughout the walls above each table set against the walls. There were candelabrums in the center of each table in the middle of the room. By the end of the large room where a series of alcoves with curtains at each opening. They were led into one of these.

"Here we are." The woman said. "Your waitress will come in a moment."

"Thank you." Ron said and they each took a seat around the table.

The alcove looked out to a small courtyard, with tables and benches and small bushes around the surrounding wall. The curtain had been closed and only the candles lit from the candleholders above their heads lit their cozy place.

"Well, it is different from what I had imagined." Hermione said as she settled in her chair. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Yes, it is a unique place." Smiled Ginny watching Hermione with care.

"But I did like her attire." Hermione said with a smile.

The others smiled with amusement.

"Do you suppose the waitresses wear something alike?" Hermione asked.

"They probably do." Harry nodded.

"It must be their uniform." Ginny said.

"I like the name. The Bewitching Cove. Rather romantic." Hermione sighed.

Ron snorted with laughter. The name was amusing but he would never think of it as romantic.

"Maybe that's why they have these alcoves." Said Ginny warming up to the subject. "To give privacy to couples wishing for a romantic evening."

The curtains opened and a young woman walked in. She was also wearing robes, but hers were scarlet with golden embroidery around the neck and sleeves.

"Hello, I'm Tanya and I'll be your waitress this evening." She introduced herself as she placed a menu before each. "Do you want anything to drink while you decide?"

"What sort of drinks do you have?" Asked Hermione opening her menu.

"We have cider, butterbeer and, of course, our bar is also open. But if you prefer Muggle drinks we also have them." She replied.

"Muggle drinks?" Asked Hermione to Ginny who was sitting beside her.

"Coke, Pepsi, that sort of thing." Ginny whispered back.

"Oh." Said Hermione. She had never heard of soft drinks being called Muggle drinks before. What did Muggle mean anyways?

"I'll have the butterbeer." Said Harry.

"So will I." Ron replied.

Ginny nodded to the waitress to acknowledge she also wanted the same.

Hermione chewed her lip with indecision. Her new friends seemed to know what these drinks were and wondered if this was a restaurant with some sort of European theme.

"I'll have the same." She finally decided. If they were drinking it, it couldn't possibly be so bad.

Her new friends seemed pleased with her choice.

"All right." Said the waitress as she made notes in her pad. "I'll return in a moment to get your orders." She said and walked out of the alcove.

"Is butterbeer some sort of alcoholic beverage?" Asked Hermione hesitantly.

"It's not too strong." Said Ron. "You would have to drink more than twenty drinks in order to feel any effects."

"Oh, good." Sighed Hermione with relief. She continued to scrutinize her menu. Some of the names of the dishes sounded more like something out of a fairy tale, but most were easily identifiable.

"I think I'll try the stake." Harry said as he studied the menu. "I'm starving."

"So am I." Complained Ron. "But I can't make up my mind. Everything looks good."

"You'll eat anything as long as it's food." Exclaimed his sister. "I think I'd rather take the salad and the soup. I'm not too hungry tonight."

"What about you, Hermione? Do you fancy anything?" Asked Harry as he placed the menu aside to wait for the waitress' return.

"I'm not sure." Hermione said biting her lip with indecision. "I think I'll take the pasta."

"Which one? There are six different pasta dishes in here." Said Ron looking at the section Hermione had been looking at.

"The spaghetti. It sounds good." Hermione said.

"Hmmm. I still don't know what to order." Said Ron.

"Why don't you get the party dish?" Laughed Ginny. "That would do well enough for you."

"The party dish? What does it have?" Asked Ron looking through the menu for the dish his sister had mentioned.

"It has a little of everything." Ginny said grasping the menu from her brother's hands and looking through the pages until she found what she was looking for. "Here." She pushed the menu back to Ron.

"It sounds good." Ron said reading the menu.

The curtains parted once more and the waitress, Tanya, walked in with four bottles upon a tray.

"Here you are." She said putting each bottle in the center of the table. "Four butterbeers. Are you ready to order?" She pulled her notepad from her robes and waited for them to begin.

"I'll have the spaghetti, please." Said Hermione with a smile.

"Can you tell me what's today's soup?" Asked Ginny.

"Sure. Today's soup is Cream of Asparagus." Tanya said.

"Hmmm. All right, I'll take a cup and a green salad please." Ginny said.

"All right. What kind of dressing do you want?" The waitress asked as she made notes on her pad.

"Whichever." Said Ginny with a shrug. "I'm not picky."

"It's ranch alright?" The waitress asked.

"That's fine." Ginny said.

"I'll take the stake. Medium rare, please." Said Harry as the waitress' attention turned to him.

"Do you want a baked potato, mashed potatoes, or French fries with that?" Asked Tanya.

"The baked potato please." Harry replied.

"With butter and sour cream?"

"All right." Harry said. He really didn't mind what was added to his plate. Like Ginny, he was not too fastidious about his food.

"I'll take the party platter." Said Ron, still looking at the menu as he said so.

"It is a big dish, sir." The waitress warned.

"Oh, that's all right." Said Ginny. "He can eat it all with no problem."

Ron glared at his sister. "It's alright." He said turning to look at their waitress.

"Very well. Anything else?"

"No, that's all." Ron said and pushed the menu aside.

"I'll return with your order soon." The waitress said. "Accio menus."

Ron, Harry and Ginny turned to look at Hermione with horrified looks. But breathed with relief when they noticed that she was looking out the window, and had not seen the waitress summon the menus.

The waitress retreated without knowledge of the scare she had given to some of her customers.

"Are you looking forward to returning home, Hermione?" Asked Harry trying to make conversation.

"Well, I'm not sure. I don't remember home, you see, so I can't really say whether I'm looking forward to it or not." Hermione confessed sadly.

"Don't worry, you'll have your memory back soon." Said Ginny patting Hermione's arm comfortingly.

"That's what Doctor Milbourne says." Hermione sighed. "But things don't seem to be getting any better."

"You just need the right sort of assistance." Said Ron. "No offense to your friend but they don't really know what happened to you, so how can they help? Our healers will be able to do more for you than she did."

"Healers?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"He means doctors." Said Ginny glaring warningly to her brother.

"But what can they do that is different from what the experts here have done?" Asked Hermione.

"Oh, they know all sorts of things." Harry said. "The treatment cannot be considered conventional compared to what you have been subjected to here, but they work wonderfully and can heal most injuries that could be considered untreated by conventional doctors."

"How is it different from conventional medicine?" Asked Hermione with some curiosity.

"Er…well, I really don't know how to explain it." Said Harry. "I guess you'll have to see it to understand."

Hermione turned to look at Ginny. She was, after all, training in a local hospital. She must know more about these treatments than Ron or Harry.

"What he means is that they know a lot more about the uses of herbs and roots to create potions, besides knowledge of conventional medicine to help their patients." Said Ginny lithely, without any outward sign of guilt about lying to her friend.

"You mean they incorporate Eastern practice along with their treatment." Said Hermione. She seemed curious about this sort of practice and didn't notice the two young men in front of her glance at each other with concern.

Ron had known that Hermione would eventually start making questions, but he hadn't known how hard it was to explain things without letting her know about the magical world. How could you explain that the healers would know what kind of spells were used on her to help with her treatment? How could they explain that by the use of spells and potions the causes of her amnesia could be reversed and help in her recuperation?

But Hermione was unaware of the questions swimming through Ron's mind. She was trying to enjoy the company of her new friends.

The curtains parted once more and they saw Tanya at the other side with a tray of food beside her.

"Here you go." She said as she started to distribute the food to her customers. "Let me know if you need anything else." She said as she finished placing the large platter of food in front of Ron.

"Sure thing." He said as he eagerly commenced his meal.

Tanya departed and the curtains fell once more into place.

"I guess they have some sort of automated system to make the curtains move." Hermione said as she turned her attention to her food.

"What do you mean?" Asked Harry, paying more attention to his plate than in his friend's comment.

"Well, I've just noticed that they move on their own." Explained Hermione busying herself with her meal that she missed the startled looks her companions shared at her artless comment. "They opened on their own when Tanya came in and then they closed after she left. I wonder what kind of system they use to do that?"

"Well, they have all kind of mechanical systems nowadays." Said Harry.

"I know. It's very interesting what man can do if he puts his mind to it, isn't it?" Said Hermione glancing at her companions.

They all looked thoughtfully at her but nodded their agreement.

The four young wizards and witches continued their meal silently. It was hard to follow Shacklebolt's order, Harry, Ron and Ginny thought. "Don't talk about our world." He had ordered, but they found that it was harder to do so than they had expected. They couldn't be faulted for coming to this restaurant, as it was Hermione herself who had chosen to come here, but it would be difficult to hide the existence of the Magical World if she kept putting them in this sort of position. How were they supposed to ignore it if she unwittingly brought them to places full of magical activity? For the nonce, they were lucky. She was not as observant as she had once been, and thus, she missed the few glimpses of magic that had happened so far. But a time would come where hiding magical occurrences would be inconvenient, if not difficult.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Detective Rivas stayed in the Milbourne house after their meal. He was eager to find out how the meal between the reunited friends had gone.

"What time did they say they would return?" He asked as he and the Milbournes retired to the living room after the meal.

"They didn't say." Said Doctor Milbourne. "You're acting like an overprotective father, you know."

Detective Rivas sighed. "I guess." He smiled wryly. "But I can't help it. We don't know much about this people. We only know what they've told us and what we got on file from the British Law Enforcement office."

"We must have hope that all will turn alright." Said Mrs. Milbourne taking her knitting, which she had left in a small bag beside one of the armchairs.

Detective Rivas sighed and sat in one of the empty chairs.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron took Hermione out to the lobby, accompanied by Ginny, while Harry took care of the bill. They didn't want Hermione to hear about Galleon, Sickles and Knuts, they wouldn't be able to explain it to her.

"Are you tired? We can return you to Mrs. Milbourne's house if you want." Said Ginny as they stood waiting for Harry.

"It doesn't matter." Said Hermione with a shrug.

"That's taken care of." Said Harry as he joined them. "Are we doing anything else before going back?"

"That's what we were deciding upon." Said Ginny.

"Hermione, what do you want to do?" Asked Ron.

"I don't know." She said thoughtfully. "I haven't been one for visiting. I've only been out a few times." She confessed.

"Didn't you make any friends other than the Milbournes and Detective Rivas?" Asked Ginny with surprise.

"Oh, yes. My coworkers were really good friends, but we didn't go out together too often." Hermione said quickly.

"Well, we can always walk around for a bit." Said Harry looking at the shops with interest. "We can do some shopping maybe. For people at home."

"Souvenir shopping, you mean." Said Ginny looking at the shops nearby.

"Dad would surely like something." Said Ron with a smile.

Harry and Ginny smiled at the image of Mr. Weasley enjoying whatever trinket they decided to buy for him.

They joined the throng of shoppers and stopped at several windows before agreeing to enter one, and spent several minutes looking around the many items on display.

One hour later, they were all carrying bags of all sizes. They hailed a taxi and made their way back to Mrs. Milbourne's house.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The Milbournes and Detective Rivas were just settling to drink some coffee when a taxi stopped in front of the house.

Doctor Milbourne moved to the window and watched as Ron helped Hermione and Ginny out of the taxi while Harry took care of the fee.

"They're back." She said walking toward the door.

"Good." Said Detective Rivas coming to his feet.

They heard as Doctor Milbourne opened the front door, and listened as Hermione and Doctor Milbourne spoke from the porch.

The group entered, and Detective Rivas was happy to note that Hermione was smiling and had clearly enjoyed her outing.

"Things went well, then?" He asked.

"Oh, yes." Hermione exclaimed. "We went to this little restaurant. You should go there, it's very curious." She laughed. "And then we went shopping afterwards."

"I can see that." Said Mrs. Milbourne as she took note of the many bags piled at their feet.

"I'm going to have to rearrange my packing a bit, to make room for these." Hermione said looking down at her bags.

"If you don't have any room, let us know." Said Ron. "We have enough room in our luggage."

"Oh, more than enough room." Said Ginny.

"We have the taxi waiting outside." Harry said. "We should return to the hotel."

"Oh, if you should." Said Hermione with some hesitation.

"When are you coming for her?" Asked Detective Rivas.

"We leave Monday morning, so we'll pass for her at seven to give us enough time to get to the airport." Said Ron.

Hermione nodded and watched as her new friends left the room behind Mrs. Milbourne. In two days, she would be on her way back home. And return to her family.

Hermione retired to her room with her shopping bags hanging at her side.

Detective Rivas had remained a few minutes after their young visitors had left. The Milbournes had decided to take her out for a last trip around the city before her trip back home. Her new English friends had agreed to give them that last day to say goodbye.

Hermione entered her room and looked around. She had packed most of her belongings in, but a few bags still remained to be closed and packed for good.

She took one of the two smaller bags and raised them to her bed. She had planned on taking them as carry on baggage, and thus, she planned on making sure she had all she needed within reach. From the bag, she pulled a few envelopes. These were greeting cards she had bought during her last week at work. She had planned on giving them to the Milbournes and Detective Rivas before she left.

Their trip on the morrow would be the perfect time to do so.

She took the small gifts she had bought during her shopping with her new friends and attached the cards on them.

There. She thought. She was ready to say goodbye.

She sat on her bed for a minute, thinking about the friends she had made during her stay in this new world. She would miss all of them, and she would miss her life here. But it was time for her to return home. It was time for her to return to her life.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was up and about early on Monday morning.

Sunrise was late in arriving. The fall would soon be over and winter would soon arrive. She wished she could see what the city looked like during the winter, when everything was covered in snow and the holiday season was on hand. She was sure that the city would look festive and cheery, and she hoped that wherever she was going would be the same.

It was six thirty and her friends would arrive at seven. Detective Rivas had offered to give them a ride to the airport, and the Milbournes would follow in the doctor's car to see them off.

"Hermione! Do you want some breakfast while you wait for the others?" She heard Mrs. Milbourne call from the floor below.

"Maybe a slight meal." Called Hermione as she started to carry her baggage out of her room.

She heard Mrs. Milbourne speak to somebody in the kitchen, as she started to climb down the stairs.

"Do you need some help?" Detective Rivas was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her.

"I only have one more bag to bring down." Hermione replied.

"I'll get it." He said. "He said. "Your friends said they had someone to see before they came."

"All right." She replied and moved down to the porch to leave her bags.

"Come to the kitchen when you're ready, Hermione." Called Mrs. Hermione.

Hermione walked into the kitchen to find Doctor Milbourne sipping from a cup of coffee and Mrs. Milbourne preparing breakfast on the stove.

"Just sit wherever you want, Hermione. I'll serve in a minute." Mrs. Milbourne said.

They could hear Detective Rivas coming down the stairs with the remaining bag in tow.

Just at that minute, the doorbell rang.

"That must be them. I'll get it." Called Detective Rivas.

"Thank you, Manuel." Called Doctor Milbourne as she set the table.

Voices could be heard from the front door.

Detective Rivas entered the kitchen with Ginny, Harry and Ron behind him.

"Good morning." They said as they entered.

"Morning." The others replied.

"Do you want to join us for a slight meal?" Asked Mrs. Milbourne.

"Thank you, but we ate at the hotel." Said Harry pleasantly.

"I'll take a cup of coffee if you could spare it." Said Ginny sitting in one of the empty chairs around the kitchen table.

"Of course." Said Doctor Milbourne and poured some coffee into an empty cup.

"What time does the plane leave?" Asked Detective Rivas taking a seat.

"At ten." Said Ron. "But we should be there before eight. We have to make time for the security checkpoints."

"Of course. It shouldn't take us longer than half an hour to get to the airport." Said Doctor Milbourne. "We have time for a small breakfast."

"Go ahead." Harry said. "We're in no hurry."

It wasn't more than twenty minutes later when they were all climbing into the cars parked outside the front door.

Harry, Ron and Ginny joined Detective Rivas, while Hermione sat with the Milbournes in the doctor's car.

"We'll take the most direct path." Detective Rivas was saying as he pulled out of his parking spot. "It's the quickest way."

The cars pulled into the main street and drove for many minutes without encountering heavy traffic.

But that changed once they arrived to the streets nearby the airport.

It took them several minutes to make their way into the ramp leading to the airport parking lot. But they found space to park soon enough.

"We can only see you off at the ticketing counter." Detective Rivas was saying as they gathered the luggage together. "Only those with a boarding pass are allowed to get through the security checkpoint.

"How long is your trip?" Asked Mrs. Milbourne.

"We have a four hour trip to New York and we make a connection to a flight to England." Ginny replied.

"We should be home by four o'clock in the morning." Ron added.

"That's quite a long trip." Detective Rivas exclaimed.

"Twelve hours all together." Hary said. "But you also have to remember the time change."

"Of course." Said Doctor Milbourne as they walked through the doors toward the ticketing booths. "Is somebody meeting you at the airport?"

"A friend will pick us up." Said Ron. "Family will wait at home."

"I see."

They had arrived at the ticketing counter. The line was short, and the time had come to say goodbye.

"Well. We should leave you here." Detective Rivas said. "We can't really join you in your wait."

"If you think it best." Said Hermione looking at him sadly. "Thank you for everything you've done. I truly appreciate it."

"It was a pleasure having you with us, Hermione. If you are in town any time, come and visit." Said Detective Rivas with a smile.

"And don't forget to write." Said Doctor Milbourne, hugging Hermione. "We'd like to know how you go on."

"Of course." Said Hermione as she embraced her.

"And give us a call, once in a while." Said Mrs. Milbourne. "Just to make sure you don't forget about us."

"I could never forget all you've done for me." Exclaimed Hermione, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Have a nice trip." Said Doctor Milbourne, including Harry, Ron and Ginny in her glance.

"Will do. Take care." Said Ginny and with a quick not to her companions led the group toward the ticketing counter.

"I'll miss her." Whispered Ms. Milboune as she watched Hermione join her new friends at the counter.

"We all will." Sighed Detective Rivas.

"She's on her way home." Doctor Milbourne said.

Hermione was thinking the same.

* * *

A/N: There you go, Chapter 8, there are eight more chapters already written that I'll update as soon as I get them edited. I do have to warn you, it's going to feel like the plot is slowing down a bit in the next chapters so you're going to be patient in order to see any progress in Ron and Hermione's relationship. They have to deal with Hermione's treatment first. But don't worry, we'll eventually see some progress and perhaps some glimpses into their future. Thank you all for your reviews, I'm so glad you have all enjoyed the story so far.

Happy reading!

Alexa


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I am very, very sorry that it has taken me so long to update, but work and school has kept me busy and out of the story for a while and it has taken me some time to get back into it. I thank you all for your patience and hereby reward you with this long awaited chapter.

_

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

**_Chapter 9 Returning Home_**

The closest the plane got to England, the more nervous Hermione got. Ginny was sitting next to her and had told her a little about the people waiting for her. She now knew that she had no siblings, and only her mother and father remained of her immediate family. Then there were the Weasleys, who had kindly adopted her into their fold when they were young and attending school and she had formed a deep sort of friendship with Ron and Harry, and later her relationship with Ron had progressed.

Ginny spoke about her own family with laughter. She spoke about her father, Mr. Weasley, who was some sort of official for the local government, and who had a peculiar obsession with simple things, like batteries and plugs. About her mother, Mrs. Weasley, who was a homemaker, remaining at home for most of her life to raise and home school her kids.

There were seven Weasley siblings. Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins Fred and George, and of course, Ron and Ginny. Hermione now knew that Fred and George were the clowns of the family and had made it their business to make people laugh. She knew that Percy was the only one to follow in his father's footsteps into a job in a governmental office. And she knew that Bill was the only one of the seven who was married and had children of his own. Although others, including Ron, were either engaged or had a serious girlfriend. Bill and his wife had a set of twins that everybody was set to spoil, no matter the efforts of the young mother.

She was eager to meet this family of assorted characters who had embraced her into their close-knit group and had been eager to call her a member of their family after her marriage to Ron.

Hermione had not thought about her impending marriage since the first moment she had seen Ron. She had been surprised, and if she was to be honest with herself, a little frightened. Not because she didn't want to marry Ron, but because she didn't want to think about the plans that seemed to have gone awry because of her circumstances.

She knew that eventually she would have to sit with Ron and talk about this marriage that was supposed to have taken place. They needed to decide how to go on from here. She felt guilty that instead of being saddened by the postponement of their plans she was feeling relieved. He was, after all, a stranger to her, and she needed time to get to know him and adjust to her life once again. She didn't want to marry a man she could not remember. She needed to know that she was marrying the right man for her. A man she could love and respect.

She knew that maybe she might have felt those things for Ron at one time. But that was before her loss of memory. But now things were different. And she dreaded to think about the consequences of her attack.

But now was not the time to think of such things, she decided, as the stewardess' voice was heard throughout the plane letting the passengers know of their imminent arrival to English soil.

"I'm glad this trip is almost over." She heard Ron mutter to Harry. Both sat in the seats behind hers and Ginny's. "I don't think my body would have withstood another hour in these seats. They are deucedly uncomfortable if you ask me."

"You've flown in long trips before." Harry replied.

"Yes, but not this long, and you must agree that the seats can be made more comfortable on a Firebolt 2000 easily, when we can't on these." Ron said.

"Well, yes. You're right about that at least." Harry conceded.

Hermione turned to look at Ginny with confusion.

"Firebolt 2000?" She asked.

"Er…you'll see them later." Was all Ginny could think of saying.

Hermione seemed to accept this as she turned her attention back to the stewardess' voice announcing the local time and weather for the benefit of the passengers. But Ginny was angry. Leave it to Ron and Harry to talk about brooms within Muggle hearing. Didn't they think they would be heard? Honestly, men can be so thick sometimes. She thought.

They were getting nearer. The plane was minutes away from landing in English soil and they couldn't wait for it.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was happy to note that they got through customs easily. Now they were following the signs out of baggage claim.

They located the exit easily and walked through the doors to meet whoever had come to meet them.

"Harry! Ron!" They heard a voice call. "Ginny! Over here."

They saw the tall figure of Kingsley Shacklebolt through the crowd waiving at them.

Ron pointed him out to the others.

"That's Harry and Ron's commanding officer." Whispered Ginny to Hermione as they began walking toward the waiting man.

"He looks too young to be in charge of a law enforcement department." Hermione said as she spied the man her new friends were guiding her to. That she was curious to know why he had come to pick them up and not a friend, she kept to herself.

"But he's good at what he does." Ginny said. "There's nobody who would've done it better. And he learned from the best, really."

Harry and Ron had reached their commander before the girls did.

"How did it go?" Shacklebolt asked keeping an eye on Hermione.

"Fine. She doesn't remember anything." Said Harry turning to look at the two young women walking in their direction.

"She'll need to go to St. Mungo's first thing in the morning." Said Shacklebolt. "But first we need to get her to her parents' house."

"But she needs to rest." Said Ron. "Shouldn't we go home first?"

Shacklebolt turned wary eyes to Ron. Ron had a feeling that he was about to hear something that he wouldn't like to hear.

"She is going home." Shacklebolt said. "Her parents' home."

"What?" Exclaimed Ron. "If you have forgotten, she hasn't lived with her parents for more that a year."

"But she'll do so now." Shacklebolt said. He held up a hand to keep Ron from interrupting. "She needs to stay with her family now. You can't expect her to feel comfortable living with you in her condition."

"Why not?" Asked Ron angrily. "I could help her."

"You are virtually a stranger to her." Shacklebolt said with brutal honesty. "She needs to get used to those around her. And until the healers at St. Mungo's have examined her and think of a way to help her, you must treat her as a friend only. Besides, I'm sure you understand that her parents are very eager to see her."

Ron glared but said no more as Ginny and Hermione joined them in that instant.

"Hello Hermione, it's a pleasure to have you home once more." Said Shacklebolt greeting the young woman they had been discussing a minute ago.

"Thank you, sir." Replied Hermione shyly.

"Well, if you lot are ready, I think we should be going." Said Shacklebolt looking at the group assembled before him. "Your parents are very eager to see you, Hermione."

"And I'm very eager to see them." Said Hermione with a smile.

"I imagine you are." Replied Shacklebolt.

Hermione looked at her new friends with some hesitation.

"Let's go, we don't want to keep them waiting." Harry urged.

Shacklebolt led the young people out of the building and through the parking lot. A black car, Harry and Ron recognized as a Ministry car, waited for them.

The luggage was stowed and they climbed into the car.

Hermione looked out the window. She wanted to see everything on her way home. The lights and the buildings were awe inspiring, and it all looked so different from the city she had been living in for the past few months.

This was home, she knew that, but she couldn't help the sense of apprehension that flooded her body.

Hermione glanced at the young people who, surprisingly, were sitting comfortably at her side. She noticed that Ron was frowning, lost in thought. It was clear to her, that something had been said that did not sit well with him, but what could it be? Probably a business matter, she thought, maybe something had happened while they were gone.

They traveled through the streets, Few people were outside as it was still too early for people to be up and about. Finally, they reached a small neighborhood in the outskirts of the city.

The car drove up a neat, fresh painted house. The small front garden looked well-cared for and the lawn mowed. It was the only house in the block where it was clear that people were already up, as light flooded through the open windows.

The front door opened the moment the car parked in front of the house, and an older woman stood by the door.

Hermione looked at the woman with wonder. She was still dressed in a night robe, and her hair was a little tussled, as if she hadn't been up for long. Beneath her robes, a pair of fluffy slippers could be glimpsed under the hem. Hermone could also glimpse the tall shadow of a man standing behind this lady. And she knew that she was seeing her parents for the first time in months, and they looked as apprehensive as she was feeling.

She was surprised out of her thoughts by a voice nearby. "Are you alright?"

She turned to find Ron standing beside her. He seemed concerned and a little troubled, and she wondered at it, but turned to look at the couple waiting by the door and nodded. "I'm alright."

"They're waiting for you." He said.

She nodded once more.

She felt his strong hand grasping one of hers, and with a slight tug he led her toward the front door.

"Oh, Hermione." Squealed the older lady and hurried down the steps to hug her. "Oh, my dear, I've been so worried."

"I'm fine." Hermione said shyly.

"We have prayed, and hoped for this these past months." Mrs. Granger said with a watery smile. "I'm so glad you're home."

The man Hermione had glimpsed came into sight. He was older than the woman whom she was now sure was her mother. He was also dressed in a night robe, his hair was gray, and slight lines lined his face, but he was smiling.

"It's good to have you home once more, Hermione." He said as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "This young man of yours has been great help."

"Don't mention it, Mr. Granger." Replied Ron. "It was the only thing I could do."

Mrs. Granger was clutching a handkerchief in her hand and drying the tears that slid down her cheeks. "I have breakfast ready in the kitchen. Will you stay and partake it with us?" She asked as the others joined them.

"I can't reply for the others, but I have things to do this morning. So I'll wish luck and say my goodbyes now." Shacklebolt said.

"I'll go as well. I want to get some sleep this morning." Harry said with a wry smile.

"I should go too. Mum wanted me to get home as soon as we landed." Said Ginny. "Ron?"

She turned to her brother, who had been silent for most of their drive, and she was wondering what had Shacklebolt said to have put him in a mood.

"I'll go, give me a minute." He said.

Ginny nodded and walked down the path with Harry and Shacklebolt after saying their goodbyes to the Grangers.

"If you need anything, let me know." He said to the Grangers.

Mrs. Granger looked at him with an understanding glance, and nodded. "You can rely on it." She said promptly.

Ron nodded and turned to Hermione. "I'll see you later. Just rest for now."

Hermione nodded and watched him walk after his friends.

"You have a good man, there." Mr. Granger said. "He'll do good for you."

Hermione glanced at the man she now knew was her father and nodded. She couldn't think of anything to say.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron climbed out of the Ministry car in front of his building. Ginny and Harry had decided to accompany him.

"I can floo over to the Burrow from your flat." Ginny had said when Ron had asked why she was coming over.

Ron had shrugged it off. He knew his sister was bound to ask questions and it would be worse if he didn't let her say whatever she wanted, even though he didn't feel like answering any questions.

Ron heard Shacklebolt drive off as soon as they had stepped off the car. They had shrunk their luggage inside the car and it was now comfortably stuffed inside their pockets.

"Why did you have to rent a flat on the upper floor, why didn't you rent one in the bottom floor?" Ginny complained as they stepped into the lift.

"Because it was open." Said Ron. "Besides, it gives me a perfect view of the neighborhood and that could give me an advantage in case of danger."

"You're so paranoid sometimes." Ginny muttered.

Ron glared at his sister but didn't reply as the lift move up through the building.

"So? Are you going to tell me what put you in a mood?" Ginny suddenly asked.

"Ginny!" Harry said in a warning tone. He knew what had bothered his friend and he knew that Ginny's questioning could only make things worse. Ron was not a person who liked to be questioned about his personal life. And Ginny should know that, he thought, he was after all her brother.

"Don't you say anything else, Harry Potter!" Ginny exclaimed. "I have as much right as you do to know what is bothering him."

Harry raised his arms in defeat and turned a commiserating look at Ron. He knew how obstinate Ginny could be, nobody could say no to her when she was this way. Not even her parents, and in his view, that was saying something as Mrs. Weasley was as obstinate as her daughter.

Ron was kept from responding as the lift doors opened. They walked down the corridor toward Ron's flat.

Ron looked around and took out his wand. With a quick flick, he tapped the knob and the door silently opened before him.

He groaned at the sight that met his eyes. "Did you know she was going to do this?" He asked angrily at his sister as they walked into the flat.

The flat had been thoroughly cleaned, and he knew who was responsible for it.

Ginny shrugged. "I guessed she might." She finally said.

"I don't know how she does it." Ron complained. "The door is charmed to recognize only my and Hermione's wands, and she can still break in to clean this place."

"It needed it." Said Ginny in favor of their mother's actions.

"I clean!" Snapped Ron exasperatedly.

"If you say so." Ginny snorted with derision.

Ron walked to the kitchen and took out a bottle of butterbeer from the cooler.

"Couldn't offer us one, could you?" Chided Ginny.

Ron threw another glare at his sister and took out two more bottles from the cooler before slamming them down upon the table.

"Honestly!" Exclaimed Ginny and took one of the bottles before passing the other one to Harry.

"I thought you were flooing to the Burrow." Said Ron as he watched his unexpected guests drink their butterbeers.

"In a minute. You still haven't answered my question." Ginny replied.

Both Harry and Ron groaned. Ron had hoped that his sister would leave soon and forget about her questions. While Harry understood perfectly how Ron was feeling , as he had felt the same when Hermione and Ginny had questioned him in the past, as it had happened several times, specially when he fell into a deep depression after the final confrontation with Voldemort.

"I think I better go." Said Harry as he put his empty bottle on the table. "I'll see you later." He said to the siblings and he walked to the fireplace. With a flick of his wand, roaring flames appeared on the fireplace. He took the small vase above the mantel and threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the fire. After a moment, he disappeared among the roaring flames.

"You should go too." Ron said to his sister as Harry's figure was out of sight. "I'm sure mum is eager to have you home."

"I'm not leaving until you answer my question." Snapped Ginny looking mutinous.

"I'm not answering anything. If I'm in a mood, as you say, then it's none of your business." Ron snapped back. "Now, I'm going to take a nap." And without a backward glance he walked out of the kitchen and into his bedroom.

Ginny glared as the door slammed behind her brother. Honestly! She thought. Ron could be such a prat sometimes.

She walked toward the fireplace, where the flames still danced merrily. She might as well go home, she decided. Ron was known to sulk for ages, and she didn't want to waste her time on him. Gathering a pinch a Floo Powder from the vase above the mantel and threw it into the fire. "The Burrow." She yelled as she stepped into the flames, and instantly she was swirling through the flames on her way home.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione looked around her room with wonder. Her mother had taken her to the kitchen after her arrival, where she was served a fine English breakfast before being taken to her room.

"It is just as you left it." Mrs. Granger had said as she opened the door to the bedroom. "You were always rather particular about the way things were placed in here."

Hermione nodded, but only because she didn't want to admit that she couldn't remember this room or any of the others that she had glimpsed on her way.

"I'll be in the kitchen with your father." Mrs. Granger said. "Call me if you need anything."

Hermione nodded once more and heard as the door was closed gingerly by her mother.

She looked around the room with curiosity. It looked like a room inhabited by a young woman. There were pictures among the walls and on top of the dresser and the bedside tables. She could see that many were of Harry and Ron, while some contained Ginny and others she could not really remember. They all seemed to have been taken in the same place, as she could glimpse a lake and a forest in the background of many of the pictures. There was something odd about the pictures, she thought. It looked as if the subjects in the pictures seemed about to come to life at any moment.

She also glimpsed pictures of her parents and others that she could only assume were members of her family as they all seemed to have some similar features.

There were also pictures of a cat. A ginger cat with an odd-looking face, which looked as if it had been smashed against a wall at some point in the past. She chuckled at the sight of this funny-looking feline, but as she couldn't see any cat or cat paraphernalia, she could only assume that it had died at some time in the past.

With a sigh, she took her luggage, which had been brought in by Mr. Granger at her arrival, and pulled it onto the bed. It was time she unpacked, she thought, and began to settle into her new life.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron slammed the door as hard as he could. He did not wish to speak to his sister and hoped that she was wise enough to know that and leave presently. He waited for a few minutes, and sighed with relief when he didn't hear any more from Ginny. He knew she had gone home.

He knew he was being childish, that if he talked about his concerns perhaps he would feel better. But he couldn't. How could he express the fear that had flooded his body when he was told that Hermione wouldn't be living with him anymore?

He couldn't understand this fear, he didn't want to understand this fear. She was found, he thought, she was all right and back home. But that was the root of the problem, wasn't it? She was not really home, she was at her parents' home. The home she had left when she moved in with him more than a year ago. The home neither of them had thought she would return to. They had been determined to make their own home.

But she wasn't here anymore, he thought, and perhaps she would never be. This was the fear that had washed over him when Shacklebolt told him that Hermione was better off living at her parents' house during her treatment. He had felt as if he was being told that their relationship no longer existed. That their life together had been a wonderful dream, and he had just been rudely waken from it.

Eleven years of their lives had been erased in an instant. They were strangers once more and he didn't know if things could ever be the same.

Ron lay on the bed, misery and sadness written over his face. He would do everything he could to get Hermione back. He would woo her if he had to. He just hoped that at the end, he could rekindle the love they had once shared, and move on with the plans they had made.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A/N: There you are, Chapter 9. Once more, I'm sorry it took so long to have it up, things are settling down a bit at work and hopefully I will be able to update more often, but I'm not making any promises, things just seem to get in the way more often than I wished. Thank you all for your reviews and your patience. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and that you will continue to read the story.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I know, I know, it's been so long since I've updated this story, but I got so busy with so many things, and I kind of forgot to edit more chapters. But I thank you all who have replied and have been patiently waiting for this new update. I hope that this New Year is a less busy for me and I can get back to writing a little more often.

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For the Disclaimer see previous chapters (I already got tired of posting it at every chapter)

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**_Chapter 10 A Dinner Party_**

Hermione awoke from her nap feeling refreshed and alert. The trip had truly tired her, and a sleepless night had taken their toll.

At first, a disconcerting fear had taken hold of her as she found herself in an unfamiliar room. But it lasted only seconds, as memories of the past hours returned instantly. She was in England, she thought, she was at her parents' house. Mrs. Milbourne and the others were a thing of the past.

The sun was setting and she knew that her mother would call her soon for dinner. She had slept most of the day and had not been awaken for lunch. Her stomach was now complaining over this oversight.

She could hear her parents talking in another room. Their muffled voices gave her a sense of relief and joy. For many months, after she had awoken after the attack, there had been moments when she thought that she would never hear these voices. She smiled. But that was over and she could look toward the future.

She got up from the bed with care. Her body was still tired, and she knew it would take some more hours of rest before she felt better. Her back was sore, and so were here arms. She stretched as she had been taught to do when she was doing physical therapy at the hospital to relieve the pain from her body after her attack.

She walked quietly toward the kitchen, where she heard her parents' voices coming from.

"I'm sure we should do so. They have been great friends these past months." She heard her mother say as she moved around the kitchen preparing dinner.

"They have indeed." Mr. Granger replied from behind the newspaper he was reading.

"Hello." Hermione said as she entered the kitchen.

"Hello, dear. Feeling much better?" Asked Mrs. Granger as she turned to look at her daughter.

Hermione nodded.

"Come, sit down." Said Mr. Granger putting his newspaper aside. "Dinner is going to be done in a minute."

Hermione took one of the empty seats around the table and looked around. The kitchen was neat and clean. The pots were arranged on a rack over a counter a few feet from the stove. Several appliances stood on the surface of the counters around the kitchen. A coffee maker, a toaster oven, a microwave oven, and several other things were neatly placed and covered. The tiled floor was shining and the table around which she sat had been waxed.

"You better take advantage of tonight and tomorrow to rest." His father was saying. "There is an appointment to the hospital the day after tomorrow."

"What sort of a hospital is it?" Hermione asked. "Is it a big one?"

"Well." Said Mr. Granger thoughtfully. "I suppose it is large. I'm not entirely sure."

Hermione looked at him with surprise. "Don't you use this hospital?"

"Well, no." Said Mr. Granger with care. "Your mother and I don't use it, we're too used to our own doctor to go anywhere else. But you have, and your friends have used it in the past as well." He quickly added.

Hermione didn't say anything against this response, but it was clear she was not completely satisfied by it either.

"We were just talking about having a welcome home dinner." Her mother interjected.

Hermione turned to look at her mother with worry. She didn't think she was up to seeing a lot of people at once. She knew she would have to eventually, but not so soon.

"Just the Weasleys and us." Her mother added. "They have been very supportive in the last few months, and I'm sure they are eager to see you."

Hermione breathed a little easier. She didn't think she would mind meeting the Weasleys at all, she was, after all, a little curious about them after all the things Ginny had said about her family.

She nodded. "I would like to meet them." She finally said.

"I'll send them a note. I know I have some parchment around." Mrs. Granger said. "I think we can do it tomorrow. I will have to see if Molly is free. I know she'd like to help."

"Molly?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Mrs. Weasley. Ronald's mother." Clarified Mr. Granger, putting his paper aside as his wife placed a platter of food in the middle of the table.

Hermione walked over to one of the counters, and unconsciously, started to pull plates and silverware from the drawers. Once she had what they would need, she walked back to the table and set the table.

Her parents didn't say anything, but they were happy to note their daughter's actions. Setting the table was something Hermione always did when she was at home. They looked at each other with pleasure. Mrs. Granger quickly dashed the tears that were quickly sliding from her eyes. Fortunately, Hermione was still occupied setting the table and didn't notice her parents' reactions.

"Well." Said Mrs. Granger brightly. "Tuck in."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron and Harry were back at their desk in Auror's Headquarters the day after their arrival.

"How did you sleep?" Asked Harry the moment Ron arrived.

"I slept." Ron grunted as he started to pull the files in his inbox drawer.

Harry looked at his friend closely. There were dark circles around his eyes, and his face looked drawn and tired, he was sure Ron had slept fitfully if he slept at all.

"I got an owl from Mrs. Granger this morning." Harry said without preamble.

Ron didn't say anything for a moment. "I got one too." He finally said.

"You going then?" Harry asked.

"Yeah." Ron replied.

"Ron!" A voice called through the hall. People turned to look around. Ron turned as well and smiled at the sight of his father crossing the room toward him.

"Hello, dad." Ron said as Mr. Weasley neared their desk.

"Nice to see you my boy." Said Mr. Weasley, taking Ron into a tight embrace. "You didn't come to the Burrow last night, we were sure you were exhausted."

"I was a bit tired, yeah." Said Ron as he eased back from her father's hug.

"Hello, Harry. Nice to see you back." Said Mr. Weasley looking at the young man standing across the desk from him.

"Nice to be back, Mr. Weasley." Harry said, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand.

"Molly wanted me to tell you to be at the Burrow for lunch. She wants to see you both." Mr. Weasley said.

Ron nodded.

"We'll do that." Replied Harry.

"Well, I'll see you later, shall I?" Mr. Weasley said. "I'm sure there is a lot of paperwork you two must catch up to."

"See you dad." Ron watched his father weave through the throng of people around the room toward his own office.

"I wonder what Ginny said when she got home last night." He said thoughtfully.

Harry knew it had been a rhetorical statement and his friend was not expecting a response from him.

"It will be good to see your mother again." Said Harry, trying to distract his friend. "I miss her cooking if I don't eat at the Burrow often."

"Yeah, mum is a good cook." Said Ron taking his seat once more. "Will you look at this?" He exclaimed with a groan. "How could my inbox drawer get so full in a couple of days?"

"No field cases so far, though." Said Harry rifling through the files on his desk.

"Hmmm." Grunted Ron as he put the files in order.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ginny was setting the table in the Burrow's kitchen table.

"I'm telling you mum, Ron can be such a git sometimes."

"Ginny! Really, such language." Chided Mrs. Weasley from the stove, where several pots were simmering in the fire.

"Sorry." Replied Ginny, not sounding repentant at all.

"But really Ginny, I'm sure your brother was just tired. He does get sulky after stressed situations." Mrs. Weasley said.

"I think it's more than that. I think it is about Hermione." Ginny said. "He had been fine until Shacklebolt met us at the airport."

"That's another thing. We have to warn Ron and Harry not to mention planes and airports to your father." Mrs. Weasley said. "I don't think I can manage another night like last night."

Ginny giggled. "He was eager to hear about them, wasn't he?"

"He went to bed rhapsodizing about them. Honestly." Mrs. Weasley complained.

Ginny giggled in amusement. Her father had spent the whole dinner questioning her about the airplane and the airport. He wanted to know how it worked, why something was done the way it was done, and how it felt to fly in such enormous machines. She had only escaped after her mother had chided her father and asked about Hermione and the trip.

"They should be coming any minute now." Said Mrs. Weasley. "Your father said that they would be coming together."

Just as she said it, there were three sharp pops in the next room.

"I'm home, and look at who I brought with me." Called Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley walked into the kitchen followed closely by Ron and Harry.

Mrs. Weasley kissed her husband quickly before embracing her son and Harry. "Oh, my dears, you don't know how worried I was about you." She exclaimed.

"We're all right, mum." Said Ron, trying to escape his mother's tight embrace.

"I've never had any of my children so far away." Mrs. Weasley was saying as she prepared the food platters. "I was really worried, you never know what could happen when you have to pretend you're a Muggle for such a long time."

"Four days is not such a long time, mum." Said Ron sharing an amused glance with Harry. "It was not so hard as it is made out to be."

"Nevertheless, you never know what could happen." Mrs. Weasley said as she placed the platters in the middle of the table.

"Is anybody else coming?" Asked Harry as he noticed the many places set along the table.

"Fred and George said they might drop by, and maybe even Percy." Said Mrs. Weasley as she urged the others to take their seats. "Come on, sit. I'm sure you're all hungry."

"Mum thinks that we didn't get enough food while we were away." Ginny whispered to Ron and Harry from her seat across the table.

Ron shook his head and Harry chuckled, but neither said a word as they started to serve themselves.

"I got an owl from Jane." Said Mrs. Weasley as she joined her family at the table. "She and John have decided to have a dinner tonight to welcome Hermione home."

"Harry and I already got an owl." Said Ron. "We said we would be there."

"Oh, good." Mrs. Weasley replied happily. "I was sure you'd agree."

"I didn't receive one." Said Ginny.

"I'm sure you were included in mum's." Said Ron. "You still live here, we don't."

It galled Ginny that she was still living with her parents. All her brothers now had their own place and lived in or around London, while she had stayed behind. Every time she even mentioned the idea of getting her own place, there was an uproar from the rest of her family, especially from her brothers. It was her brothers' conclusion that as the youngest and only girl in the family, she should continue living with their parents until such time when she was ready to get married. No matter how much she argued, or how good her arguments were for getting her own place, the fact remained that she was still living with her parents and she was the only one among her siblings who tried to help the old couple as much as she could. But that was the problem, she thought, her parents were getting old, and a time would come when they would need help and she wanted to be there when it happened. Thus, she remained at home, and her dreams of having her own place were kept to herself, only to be thought of in the middle of the night, when her parents were sleeping and she had time to herself.

Two sharp pops brought Ginny out of her musings and heard the sound of her twin brothers' voice.

"We're home!"

"We wanted to see how the little people got along on their trip." Said Fred as they walked into the kitchen.

Ron snorted with amusement. The youngest son had long ago become the tallest of the six brothers, something that amused him and his friends to no end.

Ginny glared at her older brothers. She had grown up with her brothers teasing her all the time, something that had continued on even after they all left to live on their own. Her height was a constant source of teasing from her brothers, a characteristic she had inherited from her mother along with her temper.

"It was nice." Said Harry after greeting the twins.

"Nice? Just nice?" Asked George with curiosity.

Ron shrugged. "Yeah, we didn't do much."

"Leave it to these three to go to across the ocean and do nothing." Fred said to his twin with disgust.

George shook his head sadly.

"Seat you two." Ordered Mrs. Weasley. "Your food is going to get cold."

"Yes, mum." The twins said in unison.

"What were you talking about when we came in?" George asked as he and his brother started piling food on their plates.

"About the Grangers' dinner party tonight." Said Ginny.

"Oh. We got an owl this morning." Fred said. "Angie and Katie are coming along."

"So Ronnikins, how was your first night back like?" Asked George wiggling his eyebrows as his youngest brother.

Ron glared at him. "I rested, I don't know what she did, but I assume she was doing the same."

"You went to bed and left her on her own, what kind or a boyfriend are you?" Asked Fred with a feigned scandalized look.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "She's staying with her parents." She said.

"Oh. Why?" Asked Fred.

"Because." Muttered Ron as he kept his eyes on his plate.

"Don't be thick." Snapped Ginny. "You weren't expecting her to go and live with Ron, were you?"

"Why not? She did before." Said George.

"That was before. She doesn't remember anything. It would be weird of her to live with somebody she doesn't remember, even if he was supposed to be her fiancé. It's different with her parents, she'd feel naturally comfortable with them." Ginny said. "Honestly."

"All right. That's enough." Said Mrs. Weasley. "Ginny is right. Hermione needs to be with her family for the moment, once she has been treated and recuperated a little, she can think about her relationship with Ron. I'm sure Ron is in no hurry and wants what's best for her. Don't you Ron?"

Ron shifted uneasily on his seat. His mother and sister had just explained what Shacklebolt had tried telling him the day before. He had not been happy about it, but he had accepted it, and here was his family arguing about it.

He sighed. "Yeah."

His mother smiled at him and shifted the conversation to something else.

Ginny glanced at her brother. It seemed that the conversation had gotten to be too much for her brother.

She wished he would trust her and confide in her, as they had done when they were little and their older brothers teased them constantly. That had changed after Ron had gone to Hogwarts and had met Harry and Hermione. But there were still times when they were as close as they had once had been.

The twins' laughter got everyone's attention and they listed as the two entrepreneurs regaled their family about the latest items designed exclusively for their shop.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione woke up that morning feeling refreshed and a little nervous. Her parents had decided to have a dinner party that night and had invited Ron and Ginny's family to welcome her home.

She was eager to meet this family she had heard so much of. But she was also a little apprehensive about seeing them. From what she had heard, this family had seen her grow up since she had met Harry and Ron at school. They were bound to notice any change that had taken place in her since they last saw her. And that worried her.

"Good morning, dear." Mrs. Granger said as Hermione walked into the kitchen. "Come and have some breakfast."

Mrs. Granger placed a plate with eggs, sausages and toast on the table, and Hermione sat promptly before it.

"Where's father?" Hermione asked as she noted that her father was not sitting around the table as she had expected him to be.

"He had to go to the clinic. One of his long standing patients was scheduled to be in this morning, so he left early." Mrs. Granger said.

"Do you both work?" Asked Hermione with a frown. It didn't make her feel good that she had to ask her mother if she worked. She was more frustrated than ever that her memory had not returned. There were glimpses of scenes that she could only assumed had been dreams.

The latest one she had the night before had been of a boy flying on a broom past a dragon to get a golden egg. She had also seen some sort of game played on a large grassy area, the players flying around on brooms at high speeds. They were fanciful dreams, nothing more, she told herself. They were just fancies of her imagination seeking to fill the gaps that her memory had left behind.

But there had been glimpses of occasions she only hoped were part of memories. She had seen herself sitting on a library table in front of large books. She had also glimpsed short scenes were she had clearly been in a classroom. She couldn't remember what she had been reading, or studying on these scenes, she only hoped that they had been true memories of her time at school.

She had not told anybody about these dreams or visions. She kept them to herself and hoped they meant her case was not as hopeless as she had thought it to be.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mrs. Granger had been in a constant state of agitation the whole afternoon as she and Hermione prepared the meal and the house for their guests that evening. Mr. Granger had returned from the clinic in early afternoon, carrying flowers and vases his wife had asked him to bring to adorn the house.

"The Weasleys are not too fussy about these things." Mr. Granger said as he spied his wife hurrying to finish the housecleaning.

"But that doesn't mean we should not do our best to get this place in shape for their visit." Replied Mrs. Granger. "They're almost family."

"Exactly, which is why they won't care if the house is not totally organized." Said Mr. Granger.

"I'm done." Said Hermione coming into the living room, where her parents had been cleaning.

"Thank you, dear. Well, that's the bathrooms done. The kitchen is all clean and I'm just finishing here, so we only have the dinning room to put in order." Mrs. Granger said as she went over her list.

"I'll start on it." Said Hermione.

Mr. Granger continued with the vacuuming as Mrs. Granger finished her dusting.

"We got an owl this morning. I saw it as I was leaving." Mr. Granger said as soon as Hermione was out of sight.

"And? What did it say?" Asked Mrs. Granger stopping her dusting for a moment.

"Only a confirmation note for the appointment tomorrow at St. Mungo's." Mr. Granger said.

Mrs. Granger bit her lip as she turned back to finish her dusting. "Do you think they can help her?" She asked.

"We must hope they can. She had the care of a Muggle hospital for the past three months, if they had something that could help her, they would've done it. They did their best, now it's St. Mungo's turn." Mr. Granger said. "But as it was all caused by spells and such, they must be able to find a way to relieve the damage done."

Mrs. Granger sighed and nodded. There was nothing else for them to do, and they were putting all their hopes in the experienced hands of the St. Mungo's healers.

It was starting to get dark by the time the Grangers retired to change for dinner. The meal had been prepared and was placed in the oven to keep warm, the dinning room table had been set and readied and the flowers Mr. Granger had brought that afternoon had been arranged in large vases and placed around the dinning room and living room to bring color to the house.

They had just returned to the living room when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be them." Exclaimed Mrs. Granger as she hurried to open the door.

Ron and Harry were the first to arrive. They were closely followed by Fred and George, who were accompanied by their girlfriends, Angelina and Katie. Bill and Fleur were the next to arrive. Ginny accompanied her parents, and Charlie was the last to arrive just after Percy and his girlfriend Penelope had made their way to the Grangers' house.

Hermione was overwhelmed by the sight of the large redheaded family. She was glad that it had been Ron and Harry who had arrived first. They had stood by her as Ron made the introductions to his family. They had been happy to see her. Mrs. Weasley had exclaimed happily when she saw her and had hugged Hermione tightly as she told her how much she had been missed and how happy they all were to have her back home. It was nice to feel so appreciated. No matter how much the Milbournes, Detective Rivas and all her friends had made her feel welcomed, being among family and long time friends was better.

Harry had been happy to note that all Weasleys had worn appropriate Muggle clothing, he had been worried that they wouldn't, and no matter that Hermione couldn't remember her past, she was bound to have noticed if any of the Weasleys had worn something that was out of place with the others. As it were, they all looked handsome and formal, and were clearly enjoying spending time together now that Hermione was back.

The meal was a loud one. Hermione didn't know how they all could fit comfortably around the table. They had seventeen people sitting around the table and they all sat talking animatedly as the platters were passed around.

Eventually, the subject of Hermione's appointment for the next day came into the conversation.

"The confirmation for her appointment came this morning." Mr. Granger had replied to a question from Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, they would send one." Mr. Wealsey said. "They usually do for serious cases. Unless they kept you in the hospital, that is."

"I don't know about this Molly." Mrs. Granger said. "I don't like the idea of her going on her own."

"Oh, she won't be on her own, Jane." Mrs. Weasley replied. "Ginny will come for her."

"That's a relief." Mrs. Granger said, feeling a lot better about her daughter's appointment.

"Will you?" Hermione asked to Ginny after listening to their parents' conversation.

"Will I what?" Asked Ginny, who had been trying to listen to the twins' hushed conversation at the other end of the table.

"Be with me for my appointment tomorrow?" Hermione asked.

"Of course. I work there. So I volunteered to take you." Ginny said.

"Can't my parents come?" Hermione asked as some apprehension returned about the idea of going to the hospital.

"I think they have something to do that they couldn't cancel." Ginny said carefully. The Grangers and she had talked about this before she had left with Ron and Harry to find Hermione. She had assured the Grangers that St. Mungo's was the only place that could help Hermione if the damage done had been caused by spells. Unfortunately, because the Grangers were Muggles, they would not be able to accompany their daughter to her first appointment. They had not been happy about it, but they understood that it would have to be done. "But don't worry." Ginny continued. "They'll be here when we return, and hopefully we'll know what treatment to follow."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron didn't say much during the meal. He kept his eyes constantly on Hermione who was sitting beside Ginny at the other end of the table. It was hard for him seeing her so far from him. Since the time they first came together, they had been sitting side by side in meals, meetings, or any other venue they assisted together. This was the first time in years that they sat at separate sides of the table from each other. Even during those times they had been angered at each other, they still kept close. She might as well have stayed across the ocean, he thought with disgust. How was he supposed to remind her of the love they had for each other if there were others around all the time. He hadn't had a moment alone with her since her return, and it didn't seem like there would be any soon.

He had volunteered to take Hermione to St. Mungos' for her first appointment, but the healers and Shacklebolt had agreed that it would be better if Ginny did so. She would be more comfortable with a woman, they said, he was still a virtual stranger to her and she would feel self-conscious with a man present. He had not agreed with them, but he had stepped aside and now he would have to see his sister take Hermione to her first appointment to the healers.

He felt as if he was being pushed aside from the life that should have been his. He had been her partner; if she fell ill, he had been there to take care of her; if she had trouble at work, he had been there to give her a shoulder to cry on. He had always been there, one way or another, since they had first become friends. Now he was looking in from the outside, as if their relationship had never happened.

Harry and Ginny told him to wait, that the right time would arrive when he could stand by her once again. His parents wanted him to be patient, they said that after her treatment things could go back to how they had once been. Even Shaklebolt called for fortitude, to allow her to recuperate at her own pace. But he was not a patient man, he had never been and this was trying his patience to the limit.

But he remained silent as to his feelings. He was not a man who liked to share his emotions to anybody. The only person who had been able to get him to share what he was feeling had been Hermione. But that was out of the question now, and he had to learn to deal with his feelings on his own.

Hermione's laughter reached his ear and he looked up. She was laughing at something Ginny had said. She was happy, he knew that just by looking at her, by the glow in her eyes. And he knew he should be happy for her, but his feeling of isolation was stronger than ever.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione lay on her bed thinking about the day's events. She was really glad her mother had invited the Weasleys. They seemed like a fun and loving family. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley had been very kind to her. Harry and Ron had stood by her throughout the first half of the evening introducing her to the others she had not met. The two were obviously protective of her, just as two friends would be. Ginny had entertained her during the meal, telling her about each of her brothers. The Twins, Fred and George, took it upon themselves to keep the company entertained after dinner. She liked the two young men, they were funny and obviously loved their family very much.

She smiled in the darkness. It had been a great evening, she thought, great indeed.

* * *

A/N: There you go, another chapter done, hope you liked it. Things are going to be a little slow for Ron and Hermione, but eventually, the pace will pick up and things are going to get better for our little couple. The next chapters will deal more with Hermione's treatment and less about their feelings, first, I think you all must agree with me, Hermione must find out about the magical world. Thank you all for replying, please don't forget to do so now.

Happy Reading!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Since I was working in one chapter why not work on two and update them together? So, here you go, one more chapter to make up for the time that I didn't update any chapters at all. Enjoy?

* * *

Disclaimer: Again, see previous chapters for the disclaimer, I'm too lazy to write it again.

* * *

_**Chapter 11 A Visit to St. Mungo's**_

Hermione awoke very early the day after the dinner party. The sun was just rising and its light was creeping through the gaps of the curtains on the windows.

She stretched sleepily on the bed before blinking the sleep off her eyes. She could hear her parents talking and moving in a room nearby, and knew that at any moment her mother would walk down the stairs toward the kitchen and start making breakfast.

There was no reason to wait, she thought. In an hour, Ginny would come and accompany her for her appointment. She was really looking forward to this.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron had decided to spend the night at the Burrow after accompanying his parents and sister back after the dinner party.

The alarm clock that still remained by his bedside table rang shrilly in his ears.

He groaned and opened his eyes cautiously.

"Ginny, hurry up!" He heard his mother calling. "I want you to have time for a light breakfast before you leave. I know you won't have time after picking Hermione up."

Ron groaned again. Of course, he thought, Hermione's appointment. Maybe he should have left as soon as he got them home and returned to his flat posthaste.

There was nothing for it now, he had to do the best of the situation and get on with his day as if nothing was going on. As if he didn't wish to be at St. Mungo's that morning instead of reporting to work.

He got up. He planned on having a light breakfast and then apparate to his flat for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

He opened the door of his room and could hear his mother talking and moving around down in the kitchen. The bathroom door was closed, which meant that somebody was using it. He guessed it was Ginny who was using it at the moment.

With a quick sweep of his fingers through his hair, he stepped down to meet his parents at the table.

"Oh, good morning, dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she spied him climbing down the stairs.

"Morning, mum." He mumbled.

"Have breakfast before you leave." Mr. Weasley said from the head of the table, where he was reading the Daily Prophet as he waited for breakfast to be ready.

"Yeah. Just a quick one, I have to get to my flat and change before reporting for duty." Ron replied as he eased a chair from the table and sitting on it. "Anything good in there?" He asked his father with a fleeting look at the front page.

"Not really." Said Mr. Weasley glancing at his son over the paper. "Just some mention on Malfoy's case."

Ron snorted derisively. "It's taken months just to get him to cooperate for his trial." He finally said. "If he's sent to Azkaban, it will be a miracle."

"The Malfoys are still very powerful in the wizarding community." Mrs. Weasley warned.

"Only with the socialites." Said Ron. "They are the ones who had been pulling the strings and caused his case to delay. I don't know what they're thinking. The evidence against him might be circumstantial, but it's still very strong. Any other wizard would be in Azkaban by now." The disgust on his voice showed his contempt for Malfoy and those like him.

"Well, money talks." Said Mr. Weasley sounding a little disappointed.

Ron snorted with derision but said no more as his mother placed a plate before him. He turned his attention to his food. He didn't want to think about Malfoy and his upcoming trial. It had taken three months to get a date for his trial and it still seemed that there was some trouble.

Thanks to the investigation that Harry and Ron had done while searching for Hermione, they had uncovered several hidden cells of Death Eaters that had escaped and remained active after the war. Several of those apprehended had been already tried and were now spending the rest of their lives in Azkaban. Only minor members remained to be dealt with, the only leader that remained to be tried was Malfoy. And Ron was not happy to have it so.

"I should've busted his head when I had the chance, Ron thought as he glimpsed Malfoy's face sneering from the picture on the Prophet's page.

Ginny ran down the stairs, pulling Ron from his dark thoughts.

"Just a light meal, mum." Ginny said. "You know I don't eat too much in the mornings."

"I know, Ginny." Said Mrs. Weasley, placing a plate with toast and butter in front of one of the empty chairs. "Just take a seat."

Ginny sat on her customary chair and reached for the toast her mother had placed before it. She looked at her brother carefully. "You can use the bathroom now."

Ron glared at her. "I'm going home in a minute." He said.

Ginny shrugged and turned her attention back to her toast as Mrs. Weasley placed a warm cup of coffee before her.

Ron pushed his plate away and drained his coffee. "I'm going." He said pushing his chair from the table. "I'll see you later." He said to his family.

"Be careful." Mrs. Weasley called as Ron walked out of the kitchen to apparate home.

"Don't worry." He called before a sharp pop was heard by the others as he apparated home.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione dressed carefully that morning. She was eager to begin her day and arrive at this hospital her parents had told her about. She had great hopes that the doctors would find a treatment that would help her. But a voice of doubt was always whispering in her ear. The experts at Doctor Milbourne's hospital hadn't been able to help, it said, what if these doctors couldn't help either. She shook her head and put the thought aside.

"I will not be a pessimist." She said to herself. "They will find a treatment we can follow."

"Hermione?" Her mother's voice was heard from the hall. "Are you up?"

"I'll be down in a minute." Hermione called.

"Alright, but hurry up. You should eat something before Ginny comes for you." Mrs. Granger said.

Hermione finished brushing her hair and hurried out the door.

She found her father and mother seating in the kitchen table discussing an article from the newspaper.

"It's already high as it is, a raise is not needed." Mr. Granger was saying.

"Good morning." Said Hermione as she walked in.

"Good morning, princess. Did you sleep well?" Mr. Granger asked as Hermione took the remaining seat.

"Yes." Hermione said, pouring some tea into her cup. "I'm just a little nervous."

"Don't be. I'm sure that you'll be fine." Mrs. Granger said. "And Ginny will be there with you."

"Are you sure you can't come with me?" Asked Hermione looking at her parents with some apprehension.

"I'm sorry, dear." Her mother said with a sigh. "I wish we could."

"We have some patients to see that we can't cancel on." Mr. Granger said regretfully. "But we'll meet you in town after the appointment."

"Yes, there's a bistro near the hospital. We'll wait for you there." Mrs. Granger said.

Hermione nodded and turned her attention to the toasts, eggs, and ham that Mrs. Granger had placed before her.

The family had just finished their meal when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Ginny." Mrs. Granger exclaimed as she hurried out the kitchen.

"Are you ready?" Mr. Granger said looking at his daughter with some trepidation.

"Yes." Said Hermione.

She stood up from her chair and took her plate and cup over to the sink.

"Hermione, dear, get your coat and scarf. It's a little chilly this morning. I think it might start snowing soon." Mrs. Granger said as she entered the kitchen trailed by Ginny.

"Are you ready?" Ginny asked Hermione, who stood nervously by the sink.

"Oh, yes." Hermione sad quickly. "I'm just going to get my coat." She added and hurried out to her room.

"How will you take her into the hospital?" Mr. Granger asked Ginny as soon as Hermione was out of hearing.

"We'll take the Underground to town. There's a special entrance that is used when Muggles are needed to be brought in because of accidental magic." Ginny said. "We'll use it today. She'll think it is a Muggle hospital."

"We'll wait at the dinner across the street." Mrs. Granger said. "Molly said that most Muggle relatives of Muggle-born wizards treated at St. Mungo's wait there."

Ginny nodded. "I know it. I'll bring her round as soon as we're done."

"I'm ready." Said Hermione from the doorway. "Are we leaving now?"

"There is no reason to wait." Smiled Ginny. "I'll see you later, then." She added to the Grangers.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger nodded as Hermione quickly kissed them goodbye. "I'll see you later." She said.

"Good luck." Called Mr. Granger as Hermione and Ginny made their way to the front door.

"I hope they can help her." Said Mrs. Granger as they heard the front door close.

"I think they will. If they can't, I don't know who else will." Mr. Granger said.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron apparated to his flat soon after dissapparating from the Burrow. He hurried into the bathroom for a quick shower and quickly changed his clothes.

After doing a quick security check, something he usually did before he left home every morning, he disapparated once more toward the Ministry.

He apparated in the designated apparating area of the Ministry. After passing through the checkpoint without incident, he hurried through the Atrium and stepped into one of the lifts.

He watched as other Ministry workers and visitors got on and off at the different floors, while memos flew in and out each time the doors opened.

Finally, he arrived at Auror Headquarters. Harry was already sitting on his desk.

"I thought you were going to be late." Harry said as Ron flopped heavily on his own chair.

"I almost was." Ron sighed as the nearest clock struck the hour. "I spent the night at the Burrow. But I forgot the fact that I don't keep any of my working robes there."

"You should. Just in case." Said Harry as he ruffled through his parchments looking for something. "I got an owl this morning from the Minister." He added after a moment.

Ron looked at his friend with a lift of his eyebrow. "What did she want?"

"They want me to appear for Malfoy's trial." Harry said with a sigh as he leaned back on his chair.

"Are you going?" Ron asked curiously.

"Of course. I'd love to see Malfoy get what he deserves." Harry said with a twist of his lips. He and Malfoy had always had a rivalry that had survived the years after finishing Hogwarts. No rivalry could equal it, unless it was that of his father and his friends against Snape.

"So they finally got a trial date?" Asked Ron reaching for his messages piled in his inbox tray.

"Yeah. Two weeks from now." Harry said reaching for the folders he had been riffling through. "The last appeal from his team has just been dismissed."

Ron grunted. "Took them long enough."

Harry shrugged. "We knew it wouldn't be too easy." He said carefully. "The Malfoy family has been able to escape censure from the Ministry despite the proofs of their ties to Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy escaped being imprisoned many times, until he was caught as a Death Eater back in our fifth year."

Ron looked at his friend sharply. Harry didn't speak often of the events at the end of their fifth year. More than six years had passed after Sirius' death and Ron knew that it still give his friend nightmares; even though they were not as regular as they had once been.

"He almost escaped that one because Fudge wasn't too eager to see him in Azkaban. He had been seen many times in his company, it was known that Malfoy had advised him in many occasions. He barely survived when the public thought that he had been bamboozled by a Death Eater, thank Merlin he was kicked out of office." Ron said.

"True. But he escaped major punishment then. The Dementors had left Azkaban by then." Harry said thinking about those past days. "But he lost status in the community."

"Not enough." Ron said. "He may have lost half his money and his social status. But there are many who are still willing to back his family up, even though he was killed during the war at Voldemort's side."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about him. But we can still put Draco behind bars." Harry said.

"Let's just hope he doesn't slips through as his father did." Ron said.

"Fat chance." Harry said with a smile.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione and Ginny took the underground to get into town. Hermione looked out the window in wonder as he saw the train hurry through the cavernous stations. But the trip didn't last long as Ginny pulled her through the door and through the crowd and into the city streets.

People hurried through the sidewalks as they walked toward their offices. Hermione saw men and women in suits carrying suitcases and talking on cell phones as they made their way through the crowd.

Finally, Ginny pulled her to stop in front of a large building. A visitor's entrance was right in front of them, a sign showing the way toward the emergency entrance at one side. Large windows shined on its surface and some ambulances were parked nearby.

"Here we are." Ginny said with a smile. "St. Mungo's. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be." Said Hermione taking a deep sigh.

"Let's go in, shall we?" Said Ginny and led her through the large glass doors and into the hospital lobby.

"Hello, Dianne." Ginny greeted the young woman at the reception desk.

"Hey, Ginny. Why did you come through here?" The woman asked curiously.

"I'm bringing someone in." Ginny said nodding toward Hermione. "Hermione here has an appointment this morning." She said looking at the woman she had called Dianne meaningfully.

With a lift of her brow, Dianne looked down at the appointment book on the counter.

"Hermione. What's the last name?" She asked.

"Granger." Hermione answered tremulously.

"Granger, Granger." Dianne looked through the book. "Ah, here we are. Granger to meet with Dr. Willinghbye. I'll page him." She said and took a headpiece from a phone and spoke into it.

Instantly, her voice was amplified through the halls. "Dr. Willinghbye, please report to the Visitor's entrance. Dr. Willinghby to the Visitor's entrance."

"He should be here soon." Dianne said as she put the headpiece back down.

"Thanks. We'll wait in the sitting area." Said Ginny and with a quick nod led Hermione toward one of the chairs nearby.

There weren't a lot of people waiting in the lobby as Hermione looked around. A young woman with two small children was reading a magazine nearby as the two toddlers sat quietly in their carriage. A gift shop nearby was open and she could glimpse flowers, magazines, candy and other gift items displayed as an older woman sat flipping through a magazine behind the counter.

"Ms. Granger?" A voice called nearby.

Hermione looked around.

"Dr. Willinghbye." Said Ginny as she stood by Hermione's side.

"Oh, hello Ginny." The young doctor smiled as he walked toward them. "And Ms. Granger, I presume."

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Hermione Granger, doctor." Ginny blushed with embarrassment. She knew her mother would chide her for forgetting her manners if she had been present. "Hermione, this is Doctor Willinghbye." She quickly added.

"Doctor." Hermione smiled nervously. He seems too young, she thought.

"Ms. Granger, I've been told about your case, although I will not be in charge of your treatment, I will be in charge of doing your preliminary examination today." Dr. Willinghbye explained.

Hermione nodded with relief.

"If you follow me, we'll retire to an examination room." Dr. Willinghbye said.

He led the two young women through a set of doors and through the maze of corridors until they reached an empty room.

It was very similar to the examination room in Doctor Milbourne's hospital, Hermione thought as she looked around the Spartan room with its whitewashed walls and the long examination table in the middle and the counter against one wall with its many instruments gleaming in the light.

"If you could step through that door." The doctor said pointing to a door at the opposite side of the one they had entered through. "You'll find a gown there. Change into it. I'll return soon." He said before leaving them in the small room.

Hermione took a deep sigh and walked into the dressing room.

Ginny waited for her in the room.

It didn't take long for Hermione to change. She quickly returned to the examination room and found Ginny sitting in one chair leaning against the wall.

Dr. Willinghbye returned with a nurse.

"I'm going to have to ask you to lie on the table." He said to Hermione.

Hermione climbed onto the table and lay back.

"Just close your eyes and relax." The doctor ordered.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed deeply. A strange sensation flooded her body, and a bright light glowed behind her closed eyelids.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ginny watched as the doctor flicked his wand over Hermione and cast a sleeping charm. She turned to look at the young healer questioningly.

"We thought it would be best if we did this while she slept." The healer said understanding the question in Ginny's eyes. "I have to cast a few charms to find the amount of damage done and we didn't think she would allow us to do them if she was aware." He added with a smile.

Ginny nodded. "You're right, she wouldn't have understood."

"Exactly. So let's see what we can find." The healer said and flicked his wand over Hermione.

The examination didn't last long. As the doctor cast each spell, he called out his findings to the nurse, who made quick notes into a chart she held in her arms.

"That's all for now." He finally said. "Well, as we suspected, this is not going to be easy."

"But there is a treatment we could follow, isn't there?" Ginny asked sharply.

"Yes. But it will take time for it to take effect." The healer said. "If she would have been brought in as soon as the attack happened, we could've helped her regain her memory with relative ease." The healer explained. "But too much time has passed since the damage was done, that has caused the charms used to affect her deeply. We'll have to rid her body off any traces of the jinxes first. Once those have been cleared, her memory will return. But it will be a slow process. We cannot rid her of the effects all at once, it will be a shock to her body and it will only make things worse. We'll have to do it slowly. A potion will be enough to do so. We also thought that a visit to one of our Muggle-trained counselors would be helpful too. Her family should attend those as well, to help her through."

"I'm sure her parents will be eager to help." Said Ginny, looking at her sleeping friend thoughtfully.

"Nancy, bring me the set of potions needed." The healer ordered the nurse. As soon as the nurse had left, the healer turned back to Ginny. "I'm going to wake her and we'll do a simple Muggle examination." He explained. "So not to confuse her."

Ginny nodded and stepped back as the healer raised his wand over Hermione. "Enervate."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The glowing ceased and Hermione heard the door open.

"Now Hermione I'm going to test your reflexes." Doctor Willinghbye said. Just lie still."

Hermione nodded and felt as the doctor tapped her knees sharply. He also checked the reflexes in her feet and after asking her to sit up he checked her arms and hands as well.

"I'm going to ask you to breathe deeply for me." He said as he placed is stethoscope over her chest. She inhaled and exhaled. "Again." She repeated her breathing a couple of times more.

"Okay." The doctor performed a couple of more exercises before he seemed satisfied.

"Nancy here will draw some blood from you." He said as he nodded to the nurse (who had returned as the doctor removed the sleeping charm) who was carrying a tray on her hands.

The nurse took her pressure and drew a bit of blood. Hermione watched everything in silence.

"I have here a couple of potions I want you to take." Said the doctor as soon as the nurse was done. "They'll help you to relax. We find that sometimes the stress of the situation keeps patients with amnesia from remembering. We hope that these relaxants will relieve the stress and allow your mind to heal faster." The doctor explained as he presented a couple of bottles to Hermione. "The directions are on the label, make sure that you follow them exactly."

Hermione nodded as she took them from him.

"We also think that scheduled meetings with one of our therapists will help you. Your family should attend these with you. I'll bring you the number to call to make an appointment." The doctor said.

"Alright." Hermione replied.

"If you take those potions as directed and follow the instructions of the therapist, you'll find that your memories will return soon enough." The doctor said. "It won't be easy. Your condition has lasted far longer than it could be hoped, but we'll help you to recuperate as soon as it can be done."

"Thank you, doctor." Hermione said.

"Thanks, doctor." Ginny added.

Doctor Willinghbye nodded. "I'll send Nancy with that number. See you soon. Later, Ginny."

"Later." Ginny said as the doctor and the nurse stepped out from the room.

"It was much easier than I expected." Hermione said with a slight frown as she slipped into the dressing room to change.

"I expect there wasn't much more to do after all the tests that were done by Doctor Milbourne. She sent your complete file just before we went to get you." Ginny said as she read the label instructions on the potion bottles the doctor had directed Hermione to take.

"I suppose." Hermione said as she stepped out of the dressing room. "They did a lot of tests from the beginning."

Ginny shrugged. "The doctors must have thought it wouldn't do any good in repeating them all, what could have changed from the last set of tests after all."

Hermione nodded. She looked at the bottles in Ginny's hands. "Do you think they will help?" She asked nodding toward the bottles.

"Yes." Ginny said without any hesitation. "Relaxants are known to relieve stress of any kind, and some types of amnesia can be cause by stress."

Hermione nodded. She supposed Ginny must know what she was talking about, she was training to be a doctor after all. And she must confess that she felt good to be doing something about her situation at last, even if it is taking a couple of teaspoons of medicine a few times during the day and attending therapy sessions with her family.

"Let's go. Your parents are waiting for you." Said Ginny as she opened the door open.

The nurse Nancy was coming toward them as they stepped out of the room. "I have the number of the therapist." She said as she handed a piece of paper to Hermione.

"Thank you." Hermione said.

With a quick nod to both women, the nurse spun on her feet and walked away.

"That woman needs some those relaxants as well." Ginny said. "Always so quiet and rigid. Never says a thing unless she has to."

Ginny led Hermione through the maze of corridors until they stepped through the door leading to the lobby.

"See you later Gin." Dianne called from the reception counter.

"Later." Ginny called with a wave.

Hermione could've sworn that the examination hadn't lasted for more than an hour and a half; but by the looks of the clock in the lobby, they had been in the hospital for almost three hours. Hermione frowned but with a shrug she put it aside as they stepped out through the glass doors and walked into the busy street.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were eagerly waiting for their daughter and her friend's return in a small diner across the hospital. They had ordered a tray of finger sandwiches and a pot of tea while they waited.

Mrs. Granger was the first to see the two young women walk into the diner.

"Hermione, Ginny." She called as she waived over her head to attract their attention.

Ginny pulled Hermione toward the small table.

"How did it go?" Asked Mrs. Granger as soon as Hermione and Ginny joined them.

"It went well." Said Hermione. "He gave me a couple of medicine bottles to take and said that we should think about meeting with one of their therapists to help."

"That's good." Said Mr. Granger as he watched his daughter pour a cup of tea for herself and one for her friend. "Did you get the number to call?"

"Yes. He said to call and make an appointment." Hermione said, extracting a piece of paper from her pocket and passing it to her mother.

"I'll look at our schedule and set up an appointment." Said Mrs. Granger as she looked at the number and name on the piece of paper. "I've heard of her." She said with surprise. "She's considered to be one of the best in the field."

"Is she?" The others asked, Ginny and Mr. Granger with surprise while Hermione was simply curious and glad.

"Oh, yes. I read an article about her in one of our magazines a few months ago. I'll set up the appointment as soon as we get home." Mrs. Granger sounded more than pleased about the situation.

"I'm going to the powder room for a minute." Said Hermione after a moment.

"Well? What did he say?" Asked Mr. Granger to Ginny as soon as Hermione was out of hearing.

"He thinks it will take some time for her to recuperate completely." Ginny replied, cradling the warm cup in her hands. "The passing of time without proper diagnosis and treatment has made the spells used in the attack to cause more damage than if she had been treated immediately after the incident."

Mr. Granger swore under his breath while Mrs. Granger looked worried.

"But they will be able to do something, won't they?" Asked Mrs. Granger with worry.

"Oh yes. But first they have to deal with the damage the spells have caused. He gave her two potions that will help to release the damage on her body. The therapist will be the one to help with the memory retrieval. As soon as the effects of the attack are out of her body, the memories will come more easily." Ginny explained.

"How will this therapist work?" Asked Mr. Granger. "I didn't know that witches worked among the Muggle community.

"There are many witches who were born within the Muggle community, it's very common to have Muggle-borns working in a field that allows them to work for both the Muggle and Wizard community. It makes things easier when the Ministry needs help to cover an attack or accidental spell work on Muggles." Ginny said, sipping from her cup.

"I see, that makes sense, I suppose." Replied Mr. Granger.

"What makes sense?" Asked Hermione as she walked up to the table.

"The need to use a therapist." Said Mrs. Granger. "We were just wondering why a therapist was needed in this case, but Ginny says that the therapist can help with recalling lost memories."

"There are several methods she might use." Ginny said thinking about the practices that could be used in such a case. "I guess she might try some hypnosis, I've heard it helps when trying to recall a lost memory. Meditation can be of use too." Ginny didn't mention that most therapist were also trained Leglimens, which helped them to see into their patients' minds in order to find the cause of conflict or to help patients who had been hit with a strong memory charm. Ginny thought that it was most likely for this therapist to try a little Leglimency in order to help Hermione.

"I've heard of such practices." Said Mr. Granger thoughtfully. "I don't know if they work but we must certainly give them a try."

"Oh, I think they can help." Said Mrs. Granger. "Meditation is becoming very popular in therapy. No matter what the case."

Hermione listened to the conversation in silence. It seemed that her parents were eager to commence the treatment and help her in the process, but Hermione couldn't help feeling apprehensive about the upcoming sessions. She could only hope that the outcome was such as they expected.

* * *

A/N: Another chapter done, and Hermione is getting closer to regaining her memory, at least she hopes so. Thank you again for being so patient with me, many of you have been waiting for a new chapter for quite a while. I hope that you don't have to wait for so long again, but I cannot make any guarantees, my schedule has been extremely crazy in the last couple of weeks and there are times that I'm so tired, I don't feel like connecting to the internet, or, as in most cases, turn on the computer at all. Thank you again for the replies and please don't forget to do so once more.

Happy Reading!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Here we are another chapter all ready for you. I'm happy that many of you liked the last chapters, and yes, Hermione seems to be getting better, but her recovery will take some time, so you have to wait a little bit more to see any progress, so a lot of patience is needed. Things are going to go a little slow from now on, and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

* * *

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._

* * *

**_Chapter 12 Treatment Worries_**

Ron was waiting in the Burrow's kitchen when Ginny returned home the evening of Hermione's visit to St. Mungo's.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked as she spied her brother sitting at the table.

"What did the doctors say?" He asked without replying to her question.

Ginny looked at him in silence for a few seconds.

"Well?" He snapped.

"Ronald, really." Chided their mother as she finished the preparation for that evening's meal.

"It's alright mum, Ron has always been a boor." Snapped Ginny.

Ron grinded his teeth and scowled at his sister.

"If you must know." Ginny commenced. "It went very well. The doctor has hope that Hermione will eventually regain her memory."

"Why didn't they flick their wand and help it regain it now, why will it take longer?" He asked with a frown.

"Oh, honestly Ron. You just don't wave your wand and erase a memory charm, now do you?" Snapped Ginny. "It's not that simple and the fact that she didn't get the proper treatment the moment she was found has just made the damage take hold. It won't be easy. She'll have to go through a complete regimen of therapy and take some potions to help her mind heal. She will get her memory back, but it will take some time."

"Well, at least they will be able to do something." Said Mrs. Weasley placing the food platters on the table.

Ron didn't say anything. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He had been distracted the whole day thinking about Hermione's visit to St. Mungo's. He didn't want to say anything, but he had expected the healers to find a quicker way to help Hermione regain her memory. He knew he was being selfish. He had taken basic healing during his Auror training and knew that there were some things that took time to heal, memory loss was one of them. He had known that Hermione's case was going to be more difficult because of the time passed after the attack when she didn't get the treatment she needed, but there was still the hope that things were not as worse as they seemed and that the healers would find a quick fix to the whole thing.

He missed her. That was the reason behind his grumpy demeanor on the past months. He missed seeing her in their flat every day. He missed having her in his arms every night. And he missed the relationship they had worked so much in creating for so long.

Now, it all seemed to have come to an end. How could he guarantee that Hermione would still be in love with him, and wish to have him in her life after the treatment was done?

Would she have a change of heart and wished to go on with her life without him? Or would her feelings for him remain intact and their relationship continue and grow as it once had.

Those were the questions that filled his mind every night. He spent hours thinking about them and it was only because of exhaustion that he fell asleep. He just didn't want to keep living like this. He was supposed to be thinking about his upcoming wedding. He wanted to see his mother and her mother eagerly planning their wedding. He wanted to hear Hermione telling him about the plans they had made for the ceremony and the feast. He wanted to hear his brothers ribbing at him, trying to give him advice that he did not need. He wanted to fantasize about their wedding night and the life they would have together. That's what he had expected to do after proposing to Hermione that night long ago. Instead, he had to put his dreams aside and hope that sometime it would happen as he had planned.

"Ron? Do you want some more, dear?" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts and pulled his attention to the present. "No, thanks." He murmured as he continued to push his food around his plate.

He missed the look that his mother and sister shared. One full of worry and pity.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The first thing Mrs. Granger did when she arrived home that afternoon was shut herself in their study.

Hermione and Mr. Granger were in the kitchen when she left it some minutes later.

"Well," Mrs. Granger said. "I've checked our appointment book and gave the therapist a call. We'll meet with her two days from now at ten."

Mr. Granger nodded his agreement. He was eager to commence the treatment that was meant to help their daughter to regain the memories she had lost. It had been long enough and it was time for the Hermione they knew to return.

Hermione seemed a little apprehensive about their upcoming session. She didn't know what the treatment would be like. But she had hopes. She had great hopes that her malady was only temporary.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was not in a good mood when he arrived at Auror Headquarters the next morning. He had woken up later than usual, his breakfast looked like a lump of coal because he let his food burn, and he had to leave his apartment in a hurry in order to arrive to the Ministry on time.

Today was the monthly Auror meeting. Once a month, Kingsley and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement met with the Aurors to update the latest cases and to learn of the last discoveries from the Department of Experimental Charms that could help them in their work.

Ron had spent the whole session looking toward the front of the room without paying much attention. His thoughts were full of Hermione and the treatment that Ginny had explained last night. Would she start her sessions with the therapist soon? Were they meeting even now, while he was here sitting in this large room with his fellow Aurors?

He felt a nudge on his arm and turned to look at Harry. He frowned. "What?" He whispered.

"Try paying some attention." Harry growled. "Shaklebolt will ask our opinion later, or have you forgotten?"

Ron frowned but turned his attention back to the speakers. Harry was right. Shacklebolt would call them to his office after the session and ask their opinion about the charms shown to the group that morning. He would expect much more than monosyllables as a response.

The charms seemed useful enough, but not of great importance that needed to be kept secret Auror knowledge. During the war, several secret charms had been created that helped the Aurors stay ahead of the Death Eaters, if it hadn't been for those charms, the Auror Department would no longer exist. Shacklebolt, taught those charms to Harry, Ron and Hermione, as a favor to the memory of Dumbledore who had been eager to have Harry prepared for his eventual fight with Voldemort.

Harry and Ron had been the most prepared recruits to the Auror force after the war. Harry had been eagerly enticed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to join the ranks of their elite force of Aurors, it was only after Ron told him of the similar offers he had received that Harry decided to join the Aurors with Ron. Ron had known that the only reason he had received those offers had been because of his close relationship to Harry. His name had been closely tied to Harry's since the moment they met on their first trip on Hogwarts Express. But he had not cared, he knew that he could complete the training and be a great Auror without relaying on his friend to pull him through. Now he was one of the Elite Auror Squad, one that could pick and choose the cases they worked on and got called on cases of extreme emergency or secrecy. Only five Aurors had been chosen to form that squad, and he had been proud of being chosen so early in his training. Nobody, other than Harry, had been chosen so young, the other members of the squad were veteran Aurors that had proven their worth after many years of working on the field.

The session was coming to an end. He could see the other Aurors stretch on their seats or blinking rapidly. Not many paid attention on these sessions, especially when they took as long as this one had been.

"Remember, I want your reports before you go home tonight." Shacklebolt called over the din reminding his Aurors of the quarterly report they were meant to turn in by the end of their shift. Harry and Ron had already turned in theirs.

"Meet me in my office." Shacklebolt said when he noticed the two young Aurors leaving the room.

With a quick nod, Harry and Ron left their superiors behind and made their way through the yawning Aurors toward the Head Auror office.

"What has you in a brown study?" Asked Harry as they let themselves into Kingsley's office.

Ron sighed, he knew that eventually his friend would have something to say about his moods and his loss of attention. It had been fortuitous that they did not have any ongoing cases on the last weeks. He did not think that he would have done well in a fierce battle, somebody might have been gravely injured and it would have been his fault.

Harry was still waiting for an answer.

Ron groaned and passes his fingers through his hair, messing the orderly fiery locks he had combed that morning. "It's Hermione." He finally said.

"Well, I imagined that. What did the healers say?" Harry asked casually.

Ron knew that his friend's cold demeanor was only an outer shell that hid his sensitive and caring nature. A nature his friend had fought so hard to hide during and after the war.

"They gave her some potions and told her to meet with a therapist." Ron said with a shrug.

"They can help her." Harry stated. "They are well trained in Leglimency and Occlumency. If anybody can help a victim of a memory charm, it would be a St. Mungo's therapist."

"You sound confident in their skills." Ron said.

"You forget, I had great help from them after the war." Harry said smiling wryly at Ron.

Ron had forgotten. After the war, Harry had been in great pain. Both mentally and physically. It had been a miracle when Harry slept through the night without waking from a nightmare. That his nightmares were memories of actual events had only made things worse. It had been from advice from the St. Mungo's healers and Kingsley's urging that had Harry agreeing to sessions with a therapist. It seemed to have helped. Harry was able to continue and start a whole new life from the shreds that it had once been. It was now rare for Harry awake from a nightmare. Ron knew that his friend placed silencing charms around his room and bed every night. A practice he had started doing after their sixth year and had continued to do as force of habit.

"Well. What did you think?" Shacklebolt asked as soon as he came into the room, hastily closing the door behind him.

"Useful charms, but not ones that we should keep secret." Harry said.

Ron nodded. "They can be included into Hogwarts' Charm Curriculum without worry." Ron said.

Shacklebolt nodded. "I thought as much. The Minister has given the Department of Experimental Charms to print an article in the next Charming Chronicle issue as well as a short introduction to be sent to the Daily Prophet."

"The Chronicle will be enough to grab the attention of Flitwick." Harry said with a slight smile.

Ron nodded. "Hogwarts Professors don't pay much credence to the Prophet any more."

Harry snorted. "McGongall says that she rather read the Quibbler than the Prophet any time."

"They are doing better now." Said Shacklebolt with a smile.

"Only because they got in so much trouble for all the lies they printed." Ron exclaimed. "Honestly, they were worst than the Quibbler, even Hermione preferred the Quibbler's trash than anything the Prophet printed."

"Well, a change of management was all it needed." Said Harry.

"I still want to know how much the new owners paid to buy the Prophet. But they were obviously as tired as the rest of us were at reading the trash that was printed on it. It's supposed to be our source of news, for Merlin's sake. You see a lot more in the Muggle media than in ours." Ron said with a moue of disgust.

"How's Hermione doing?" Asked Shacklebolt to Ron.

"Fine. Just fine." Ron said slowly.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione awoke the next morning with renewed energy. Her parents were going to their clinic that morning for some appointments and return home for a late lunch before taking her to see the city and do some shopping.

The house was silent and she knew that her parents had left home already. She washed and dressed before going down to the kitchen for a light breakfast.

She found a note on the counter.

_Hermione,_

_We'll return home as soon as we finish with our appointments. Don't worry about making lunch, we'll get something from the diner. Just rest and make sure that you take your medicine._

_See you soon._

_Mum_.

Hermione put the note aside and smiled. It was nice being home. She missed all this, she had wished to have somebody worrying and taking care of her as only a parent could do. She had enjoyed Mrs. Milbourne's company and living in her house, but it was not the same as living with family.

She quickly made a light breakfast and ate it as she read the newspaper her father had left behind in the kitchen table.

After her light meal, she retired to her room. On the bedside table, the medicine bottles wee waiting for her. She had read the instructions many times the day before. The spoon she had taken from the cutlery drawer was held tightly in her hand.

She poured the potion on the spoon and drank it. The potion tasted sour and had a smoky color to it. She didn't know what was in it, but it didn't taste as good as she had hoped. A warmth spread through her body. Hermione stayed rooted where she stood. Was that supposed to happen?

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Harry took Ron to lunch in a small Muggle restaurant near the Ministry that he liked.

"I still don't see why you prefer these Muggle places to the ones in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade." Ron said as soon as the waitress retired with their order. "I can't get a bottlebeer here, can I?"

"No, and you know quite well that you can't." Harry laughed. "It's quieter here, and I don't have people coming over asking me questions or wanting to stare at my scar."

"Yeah, well, there is that." Ron conceded, he knew how troubling it was for his friends to be popularly known throughout the Magical community.

Harry could not go anywhere without having people follow his every move. He could understand the reasoning behind his friend's wish to eat and do things in peace, as any normal human being could. But Ron also thought that Harry's search for normalcy was also pulling him away from the magical world. Harry only visited Wizard shops and diners if it was absolutely needed or an investigation had to be done.

"When are you going to speak to the Grangers about your inclusion into Hermione's treatment?" Asked Harry.

"I don't know if I should." Replied Ron after a few moments of thought.

"Why shouldn't you?" Urged Harry. "You have a lot to lose if this treatment doesn't work."

"Don't you think I know that?" Exclaimed Ron. "And the thought of it is killing me. But what can I do? If we were still living together it would be much easier to get involved, but we're not and it's not often that I will be able to spend any time with her."

"You could ask Kingsley for some time off." Said Harry. "The work load is kind of light, the others can take care of anything that comes up."

"I don't know. I'll think about it." Ron knew that Harry was right, he could ask for some time off and he was sure to get it. But would Hermione and her family want him to be part of her treatment or would it be counterproductive?

"I'll ask Ginny if I was you." Added Harry as if he knew what was in his friend's mind. Which Ron thought was probably the truth as Harry had become quite a master in Leglimency and Occlumency through his training at Hogwarts and later with the help of the St. Mungo's therapists as a way to control his nightmares. "She might know if it would be helpful to have you as a part of her treatment."

Ron seemed thoughtful for a minute before responding. "I don't want to ask her." He finally said. "She probably won't know anything about it anyways."

Harry didn't say anything but resolved to speak to his partner's sister at the earliest opportunity.

Further conversation in the matter was put to an end when the waitress returned with their order, but both knew that it wasn't really the end of the discussion and that they would take it up at any other time.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione spent a great afternoon with her family. They took her to all their favorite places in the city, telling her stories about their previous visits when she was a child.

But it was only when she was in bed surrounded by the darkness of the night that she could think back on the day and the places they had visited. They had seemed familiar, like images and memories that were still trapped in darkness in the back of her mind that were struggling to come to light. The feeling of déjà vu that had followed her throughout the day made her happy. It surely meant that the memories were there, she thought, maybe with time they would come. And perhaps with a little help from her family and the doctors at the hospital.

She slept with a smile on her lips and dreams of trolls, dragons and flying on broomsticks that made her think she had been a great fan of fairy tales when she was a child as it was impossible to think that they were memories, only if they were images of remembered stories she had enjoyed.

She awoke early the next morning, after being woken by a dream of her, being trapped in a bathroom with a troll bent of killing her with a large club.

What a funny dream, she thought as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. She yawned and looked at the clock. It was only seven and her appointment with the therapist was at ten. She decided to get up and get ready. There was no reason to waste time and be late for her first appointment.

She dressed with care as she thought over the treatment that was about to commence. She didn't know what to expect, and she was worried about it. She didn't like uncertainties, she liked to know what was going to happen and what was expected from it. This feeling of apprehension and unbalance was not something she was comfortable with, and she had a feeling that it was something she always disliked.

She heard movement from one of the rooms across the corridor and knew that her parents were already up and getting ready for their appointment. Were they as worried as she was, she wondered.

"Hurry up, dear." She heard her mother say. "I'm going to prepare breakfast, we don't want to run late for the appointment."

There was a muffled response she could only guess was from her father in the other room.

Hermione finished dressing. Minutes later she opened her door and started on her way to the kitchen.

"I thought you were still in bed." Her father said as she closed the door to her room.

"Oh, good morning." She smiled at him.

"Morning princess. Slept well?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Yes. But – " Hermione hesitated. "I had a weird dream." She finally said. "There was this huge troll that was attacking me in a bathroom. What do you think it means?"

"Hmmm…" Mr. Granger thought over his response. He didn't know much about his daughter's school life. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that his daughter told him and his wife everything that happened while she was away. Hermione was capable of keeping things from them if she thought they would worry. "It was strange." Was all he could say. Maybe I should speak with Ron, he thought as he and Hermione continued down the stairs toward the kitchen.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Harry was not able to talk to Ginny until the day after his conversation with Ron. He had to step into Daigon Alley in search of some information about a suspect, even though he wanted to be as far away from the magical shopping area as he could be.

After collecting the information he needed, he passed by the familiar establishment of the twins and resolved to pay them a visit.

"Will you hurry up, I only have an hour long break." He heard the youngest Weasley complain as he opened the door of the shop.

"Don't hurry us, little sister, you might not like what can happen if you do." He heard one of the twins warn her.

"No matter how funny we might think it. I'm sure Mother will have something to say about it." The other twin replied.

"Argh! You were supposed to have these completed this morning." Ginny exclaimed.

"Well, we got distracted by other things." Was the response.

"Thinking up new products?" Harry asked as he walked toward the back of the shop where he knew the twins had their storage rooms and laboratory area for their experimental trials of new products.

"Well, our good patron finally comes to see us." Fred said as he and his siblings turned back to look at Harry. They were in the small room behind the counter where several boxes were placed against the wall in order to get them into the sales floor as soon as they are needed.

"Took you long enough." George said. "It's been years since you've come and see us."

"I've seen you more than enough." Replied Harry with a smile.

"I don't want to interrupt you." Interrupted Ginny with a wry smile. "But I came for something, and I won't leave without it." She glared at her brothers, who shared a quick glance before turning back to their search as they muttered under their breath.

"Hello Ginny." Said Harry turning to the young woman glaring at the twins' backs.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing here? You never come to Diagon Alley if you can help it." Said Ginny turning to her friend.

"Investigation." Shrugged Harry. "But it's fortuitous that I find you here." He added. "I need to speak to you. Are you going to be here long?"

Ginny's brows lifted with curiosity. "As long as these idiots take to find the order I came for."

"Er…well, it looks like it might take a while." Said Fred with a sheepish smile.

Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes.

"What if I take you to lunch while these two search." Offered Harry.

"Might as well. I only have forty-five minutes left of my lunch break. You two better have the order ready by the time I return." She warned her brothers before walking out of the shop with Harry following closely behind.

"What did you come to pick up?" Harry asked as they walked toward one of the new restaurants built in Diagon Alley.

"McGonagall asked me to pick up something for the Order." Ginny confessed. "I'm not really sure what it is, but Mum is supposed to pass it to her tonight."

Harry nodded. Even though the Order of the Phoenix has not been active since the war ended, the remaining senior members still remained active and from time to time they still met and helped in the apprehension of the last remaining followers of Voldemort.

The Coven, was a modern restaurant opened in Diagon Alley a couple of years after the defeat of Voldemort, it and many new shops opened in the magical business area signified the beginning of a hopeful era, and the hope of the wizarding community for a new and profitable life.

Harry had not come to Diagon Alley very often, as a result, he had not been inside The Coven but, as he had heard great things about it from his coworkers, he thought that it would be a good time to give it a try and take Ginny there.

Harry asked for a private table, as he did not want to call attention to his presence in the restaurant. Ginny smiled at his request, but said nothing as they were led through the common areas toward one of the private rooms.

"This is nice." Said Ginny as she looked around the small room they had been led to.

There were a couple of comfortable looking armchairs in front of a lit fireplace. Candles were lit and floating around the room lighting the whole room and giving off a cheery atmosphere. A round table was placed against one of the windows, which showed a sunny country landscape that was reminiscent of many they had seen through their many trips to Hogwarts over the years. There was a bouquet of wild flowers in a small vase in the middle of the table and the table properly set for two.

"Would you like something to drink while you wait for the waitress?" Asked the hostess after leading them into the room.

"A butterbeer, please." Said Ginny as she sat on one of the chairs at the table.

"I'll have the same." Said Harry with a nod.

The hostess nodded and with a quick flick of her wand, two bottles of butterbeer appeared before each, and a menu. "Your waitress will be here shortly." She said before closing the door and disappearing from sight.

"I've never been here." Said Ginny as she took her bottle for a quick sip.

"Neither have I." Said Harry relaxing in his chair and looking around.

It seemed like a cozy place, he thought, and he could eat in peace without people turning to look at him or coming close for a good look.

The door opened once more and a young woman walked in.

"Hello, I'm your waitress." She said with a smile. "Do you know what you want or do you want more time."

Ginny and Harry reached for the menus, which they hadn't opened yet. After a quick glance, Ginny put it down while giving her order. Harry took a little longer, but he eventually gave his order as well.

After making her notes and a quick nod, the waitress left the room in a hurry.

"You said you had something to talk to me about." Said Ginny taking another sip of her butterbeer.

"Yes. It's about Ron." Said Harry, thinking about his best friend and his current troubles.

Ginny's brows lifted with curiosity. Her brother was not a person who shared his thoughts and feelings with his family, but with Harry was a different thing. Harry had always been the first to know what was happening with Ron and how was he reacting to trouble, just as Ron was the only one who truly knew what Harry felt and thought in the same circumstances.

"What about Ron?" Ginny asked curiously.

"He's worried." Harry said with a sigh. "I think he wants to help with Hermione's treatment but he's afraid that it might not work."

Ginny nodded. She understood how her brother could feel helpless at the current situation, but she really didn't know how she could help.

"I don't know." Said Ginny carefully. "I'm not in charge of her case and I don't have training in this sort of treatment that can be of any help. I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens once she starts her session with the therapists. They might consider his presence essential for her treatment. They might call all of us to be part of her treatment at any time."

"You think so?" Harry asked with a frown. He had not considered that he might be called to help with Hermione's treatment. If he was truthful with himself, he had not really considered what might happen in her treatment.

"I think so. Specially you and Ron. You were her companions most of your time at Hogwarts. When it comes to her memories at school, you two will be a constant in those memories." Ginny said.

Harry kept silent for a moment but was kept from saying anything as the waitress arrived with their orders. "If you need anything else, let me know." She said with a smile after setting the plates before them.

"Thank you, we will." Said Ginny with a quick smile.

The waitress nodded happily and left them to their meal.

"Do you know when she has her first appointment?" Asked Harry as soon as the waitress was out of the room.

"No, I didn't ask the Grangers about their arrangements." She confessed. "I'm sure they'll let us know if we can be of any help."

"I hope so. I don't know how long Ron can go on as he is." Harry said.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was filled with apprehension as she and her parents waited in the visitor's lounge of St. Mungo's for the therapist to call their names. They had arrived a little earlier than their scheduled appointment but they were only too happy to wait for the doctor to be available.

She looked around the room. It was like any other hospital waiting room she had been in. Whitewashed walls, a few paintings hanging on the walls. Small tables were placed at each corner with a stack of magazines on each and couches or armchairs against each wall and a narrow door leading out to a corridor.

Her parents were lost viewing some of the magazines they found on the nearest table. From time to time one of them would point something of interest on the article to the other before turning back to read in silence. Hermione couldn't find any interest in any of the magazines. She was just too nervous to try to read anything.

"Hermione Granger." A nursed called from the door.

Hermione jumped up from her chair. "That's me." She had been too nervous about their appointment that she hadn't even noticed when the nursed entered the room.

"The doctor is waiting for you." The nurse said. "Room 116 to your right."

"Thank you." Hermione said as her parents put their magazines back on the table and got ready to follow her.

The three walked out of the room and searched for the room they had been directed to. They didn't have long to walk until they stood in front of a door with the number 116 on it.

A stern "Enter" was heard after they knocked.

With a quick smile to her parents, Hermione opened the door.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron was sitting at his desk when Harry returned to Auror Headquarters after his lunch break.

"How did it go?" Asked Ron as soon as Harry sat on his chair. "Did you get the information?"

"Yes." Said Harry pulling some parchment from his drawer to start his report. "It wasn't as much as we had hoped but it is enough." He added.

Ron nodded his head thoughtfully. "I didn't get much at Hogsmead either." He reported. "We're going to have to keep our ears open for a while."

Harry grunted but said nothing as he continued to write.

After a few minutes in silence, Harry finally pushed the parchment away from him and sat back on his chair.

"I saw Ginny at Diagon Alley." He said. "She was with Fred and George when I went in to say hi."

"What was she doing there?" Asked Ron. "She's not one to spend much time at the store, not unless she absolutely needs to be there."

"Picking up something for the Order." Harry said with a shrug.

"Hmmm. Expect mother asked to get it then." Ron said. "Ginny doesn't have much patience with the twins lately. Too immature, she says."

"We spoke about Hermione's treatment." Harry said.

"What did she say?" Ron glanced up abruptly.

"Said we might expect to be called in for some of her sessions." Harry reported. "Said that because we were together for most of the time, then we might be required to help."

"That makes sense, I suppose." Said Ron thoughtfully. "Her parents can't help her much with memories from school, can they?"

"I don't think so. I'm not sure Hermione told them everything that happened in school." Harry replied.

"Not even mum and dad know everything we did at school, nor any of the others for that matter." Ron said.

Harry knew the others Ron was talking about were the other Weasley children. Even though they had been in school at the time Ron, Harry and Hermione attended Hogwarts, they had not been confidants of any of the three friends and did not found out about any of their adventures after the fact; and in some cases, not at all.

"When do you think they'll call us?" Asked Ron.

"Don't know, but soon I expect. If the treatment beginning soon, there are some memories that will need some explaining." Said Harry.

Ron smiled. "They'll need explaining all right."

* * *

A/N: There you go, one more chapter closer to Hermione's recovery. Thank you all for reading and enjoy it. Don't forget to reply your thoughts. I do read them, if you are wondering, but I don't reply very often, unless there's a general question about the story. For answer to more specific questions, I'll try to answer them in my profile. In regards to a HP/GW storyline surfacing in this one, it's not likely. I'm focusing more on Hermione and Ron's story than anyone else's, you will see some glimpses now and then about others' histories and some relationships, but don't expect more of them. But who knows, I might just change my mind later on.

Well, enjoy and Happy Reading!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Here I am once more with another chapter, I'm sorry it took longer to upload, it took much longer to edit than I had first thought. Thank you all for your patience and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.

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_**Chapter 13 Lost Memories**_

The therapist's office was large and spacious. Two long couches stood perpendicularly in front of a set of large windows. The curtains on the windows were drawn up against the glare of the sun but were thin enough to allow the light to sieve through. There was a large desk against a corner, a large chair and a set of file cabinets behind it, while a set of comfortable looking armchairs stood in front of it.

The therapist was waiting for them at her desk. She was making some notes in a file when the Grangers walked in.

"Good morning." She said looking up as they entered.

"Good morning." The Grangers said as Mr. Granger closed the door and his ladies walked up to the desk.

"Or maybe I should say, good afternoon." The doctor smiled as she glanced at her clock on her desk. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting but I had to deal with an emergency. Please take a seat."

The Grangers sat gingerly on their chairs. Hermione's nerves were strung tight as she tried to relax.

"I'm Miriam Morse." The therapist said with a smile. "And I'll try to help you, Ms. Granger, through your treatment."

Hermione smiled. The doctor's easy smile was full of confidence and it made Hermione feel easier about the session and she began to relax.

"Now, I'm just going to ask some background information and then talk privately with each of you. That'll allow me to better set the sessions that we'll need for your treatment." The doctor continued. She looked down to the file in front of her for a minute. "Apart from the medication given to you earlier this week, are you taking any other medication?" She asked.

"No, doctor." Replied Hermione.

The doctor nodded and continued to look at the file. "Any history of amnesia or any sort of illness that causes loss of memory in the family?" She asked.

"No, doctor." Said Mrs. Granger.

"Okay, I have to make sure that there are no other causes for the loss of memory than the one as a result of the attack." The doctor explained.

"Now." She said with a smile. "I want to have a private interview with each of you. I'll start with you Hermione, and then I'll talk with you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

"We'll wait in the waiting room." Said Mr. Granger with a quick nod. He led his wife out of the room and left his daughter in the sole company of the doctor.

"Now, Hermione. Tell me about the first thing you remember after you woke up in the hospital." The doctor said turning to Hermione as soon as the door closed behind the Grangers.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron refrained from taking a lunch break. He had not been hungry after his discussion with Harry and stayed at his desk, even after his friend had left to do some training in the Headquarter's gym.

Ron often enjoyed an hour of physical training each day, it was his way to release his stress. But on this day, thoughts of Hermione kept running through his mind and kept him preoccupied. He wished he knew what to do, that he had an idea of what was going to happen. But he didn't, and that made him uncomfortable.

"Ron!" Shacklebolt's voice broke through Ron's wandering mind.

"Yes?" Ron asked turning on his seat to look at his superior.

"I need you to get Harry and investigate this." Shacklebolt said frowning at the young Auror.

"What is it?" Asked Ron taking the file in his superior's stretched hand.

"Some activity near Hogsmeade. It might not be something serious but Professor McGonagall wants somebody to investigate." Shacklebolt said looking closely at Ron.

"I'll get Harry." Ron said with a nod.

"Ron." Said Shacklebolt with some hesitation.

Ron looked at his superior with a questioning glance. "Yes?"

"Everything alright?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Yes. Shouldn't it be?" Asked Ron with a frown.

Shacklebolt seemed to want to say something else but just shook his head. "See that you and Harry go to Hogsmeade and investigate. Report to Professor McGonagall when you're done. I'll let her know you're on your way."

Ron took his cloak, which he had hung on a hook by his chair and made his way to the gym, he had to get Harry.

"Thank you, Hermione." Smiled the therapist as she finished making notes on her note pad. "I think that's everything for now. I'm going to speak with your parents now."

Hermione nodded. "I'll get them." She said.

"Thank you." The doctor smiled and watched her young patient leave the room.

She was lost in her thoughts when Mr. and Mrs. Granger returned.

"Take a seat." She told them after the door had been closed. "I thought it best that I spoke to her first. I wanted to see if the potions she has been taking have had some effect so far."

"And have they?" Asked Mrs. Granger with some apprehension.

"It is hard to say." Said the doctor. "Sometimes it takes longer with some patients than with others. But the fact that she's having dreams with magical beings in them, is a good sign. Of course, she thinks they are just dreams and that they couldn't possibly be true. And that just might be correct, but I'm sure that some must be real memories. I was hoping that we could come up with some sort of list to help her to sort out through real memories and those that might be dreams."

"I don't know doctor." Said Mr. Granger with some hesitation. "When it comes to the magical world, we can't help her much. We are Muggles, and we don't know anything about being a witch or a wizard."

"Wouldn't it be much better if her friends from Hogwarts help her in that?" Asked Mrs. Granger.

The doctor nodded. "Yes. We have to tell her soon that she's a witch. The memories are going to come soon enough and she'll be very confused as it is if she doesn't know."

"I'm sure her fiancé will be only too happy to help." Said Mr. Granger remembering his earlier thought about speaking to him about Hermione's dreams.

"Is he a wizard?" Asked Ms. Morse.

"Yes." Mrs. Granger nodded.

"Hmmm. It might work. Is it a new relationship? Or have they known each other for long?" The doctor asked.

"They've known each other for years." Said Mrs. Granger. "Ron and Harry were her best friends since their first year."

"Ron and Harry?" Asked the doctor making quick notes in her pad.

"Ronald Weasley is her fiancé." Mr. Granger clarified. "And Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" The doctor looked up abruptly. "_The_ Harry Potter?" She asked with surprise.

Mr. Granger and Mrs. Granger nodded. Mr. Granger was frowning. "You know him?"

"Know him? Of course, who doesn't know about Harry Potter?" The doctor exclaimed with eagerness.

"I didn't know Harry was so popular." Mrs. Granger said with a thoughtful frown.

"Well, no, I guess you wouldn't." The doctor coughed with nervousness. "But never mind. Do you think they'll come to the sessions if you ask them?"

"I know Ron will. I cannot say about Harry." Said Mrs. Granger.

"Yes, well, that might be expected." Said the doctor thoughtfully. "But I think we should work with Mr. Weasley first. As memories become more clear, we might bring in Mr. Potter and any other of her friends that might help."

"I'll speak with Ron tonight." Said Mr. Granger.

"Good. I think we need to tell Hermione about her being a witch as soon as possible. You might want to speak to Mr. Weasley about it, he might be able to help with that discussion, or at least have some ideas about how to go about it. I'm going to set another appointment for you for next Monday. Hopefully, Mr. Weasley will be able to attend with you." The doctor said as she made notes in her pad. "Is he by any chance one of Arthur Weasley's sons?"

"Yes. He is Arthur and Molly's youngest son." Mrs. Granger said.

"Good people. Haven't seen any of them since the last time Molly gave birth. But that was quite a long time ago." The doctor said with a smile.

"That would've been Ginny." Said Mrs. Granger. "She's the youngest."

"A large brood that." Doctor Morse shook her head. "I don't know how Molly does it." A frown appeared on her face. "Maybe you could ask Molly to help you introduce Hermione into the magical world if her son cannot do it."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll do it, but asking Molly for help is still a good idea. She can certainly help her with things we certainly can't." Replied Mr. Granger.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The phone was ringing when Ron arrived to his flat that evening. It was a Muggle artifact that found its place to the flat as soon as Hermione moved in. She was adamant about having one in order to keep in contact with her own family. Ron caved in without a fight.

"Hello?" He said as he placed the receiver gingerly against his ear. He still didn't understand how the thing worked and was sure that it would harm him in some way if he didn't take care.

"Ron? It's John." He heard Mr. Granger's voice on the other end.

"Mr. Granger! Is anything wrong?" He asked with consternation. The Grangers had not used the phone much unless it was an emergency, they knew that Ron preferred the Owl post instead of the Muggle form of communication.

"No, no, nothing is wrong." Mr. Granger hurried to ease his fears. "I just wanted to speak to you about Hermione's treatment."

"Oh. Is it going alright?" Asked Ron taking the phone and going round to seat in the nearest chair to speak with his girlfriend's father more comfortably.

"So far. The potions seem to be working. She's been having dreams with magical beings. The problem is that we don't know if they are memories or just dreams; but the doctor thinks that it is a good sign, specially since she can describe them accurately." Mr. Granger reported.

Ron sighed with relief. New hope swam through his body. For so long the fear that Hermione would never remember her past had taken hold of him and the report that she was starting to remember glimpses of the magical world was breaking apart the wall that fear had created in his heart. "That is good." He finally said.

"Yes. That's why I wanted to speak to you." Said Mr. Granger seriously. "Hermione never really told us about the things she did at Hogwarts. We really know so little of her life there so we thought that you could help us with that."

"I'll do what I can." Said Ron eagerly. He so wanted to be part of Hermione's life once more, he would do anything to help her regain that life they had once shared. "But there are some things that I might not be able to help her with." He grudgingly added.

"The doctor thinks that for now your presence in the sessions will be enough." Mr. Granger said. "We can ask Harry and Ginny to attend later if we need to, as well as any others who could help."

"I see." Said Ron thoughtfully. He was glad that for the moment only his presence was required, he didn't want to share the meager time he was being offered to be part of Hermione's therapy.

"The next session is scheduled for next Monday, can you come?" Mr. Granger asked.

"I'll speak to Shacklebolt, but I don't think it will be a problem." Ron said. He would do anything to be allowed that time, even offering to do double shifts for the rest of the week.

"Thank you." Said Mr. Granger. After a few seconds of silence he continued. "We hoped that you cold join us this weekend." He added.

"Of course, if you want me to." Ron said with a quick frown. It sounded like Mr. Granger had something else to add.

"The doctor thinks that it's time to tell Hermione that she's a witch." Mr. Granger finally said. "We hoped that you could be here to help us with that."

"Of course." Said Ron understanding the Grangers' need for help. Telling a person that she's a witch could be hard, specially if that person had no knowledge of the magical world. But she's muggleborn. He thought. She went through this before and she did rather well. "Don't worry, Mr. Granger." He added. "She'll do fine."

"I hope so. We'll see you on Saturday?" Mr. Granger questioned.

"Yeah. See you on Saturday." Ron said.

"Thank you, Ron." Said Mr. Granger before hanging up the phone.

Ron placed the receiver on the phone cradle with care. He sat back on the chair and thought about what Mr. Granger had just told him, and smiled. She's remembering, he thought, she's remembering.

With a relieved smile, he lay back on the chair and allowed himself to dream.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron arrived to work on high spirits the next day. Harry wasn't the first to notice, but he was the first to say anything.

"What happened?" He asked as soon as he knew he had his friend's attention.

"Got a call from Hermione's father last night." Said Ron with a smile.

"What did he say?" Asked Harry curiously.

"He said that the potions seemed to be working. According to the therapist, Hermione is having dreams about the magical world, she just doesn't know that they are memories. She thinks they are just dreams." Ron said.

"Those are good news." Said Harry, finally understanding what was behind his friend's happy mood.

"Yeah. They asked me to spend the weekend with them." Ron added with a wry smile. "They are going to tell Hermione that she's a witch."

"Is that a good idea?" Asked Harry with a frown. "Wouldn't that be a little, I don't know, traumatic?"

"It would be more traumatic if she remembers more things and she can't understand them." Said Ron.

"You're right." Sighed Harry. "And she is a muggleborn. She has gone through this revelation before."

"Yes." Said Ron. "But this time I'm going to be there to help her."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione didn't know what to feel. Her parents had just told her that they had invited Ron to spend the weekend with them. When she had asked why, they told her that they thought his presence could help her to explain some things in her past that she should know.

She was eager to know what was so important in her past that needed them to tell her so soon after the beginning of her therapy. But she was also nervous enough that it made her fear the upcoming revelation, and the presence of the man she knew had once been the one she had loved above all others. Would he expect her to behave as she had once done in the past? What was she to do if he wanted to be alone with her? She knew that her parents would have no problem leaving them to have some alone time if he asked. She knew them well enough to know that her parents trusted Ron if they had asked him to spend the weekend with them. They would never have asked him to if they didn't know him well enough.

She was lying on her bed, looking up the ceiling of her room. The sun was shining dimly through her open window. The sky was cloudy and the weather cold. Winter was soon upon them, and the holiday season along with it.

Hermione's days had become rather dull and long. She needed to do something, other than spending the days helping with house chores and looking into old albums that didn't seem to trigger any memories. She needed to get a job, she thought; thinking about the little store where she worked for those three months when she didn't know if she would ever find her family and friends.

"Hermione, dear!" She heard her mother call.

Hermione got up and opened her door. "Yes, mum." She called back as she exited her bedroom.

Mrs. Granger was standing at the bottom of the staircase looking up to the upper landing. "I'm going to store to get ready for this weekend. Want to come along?"

With a smile, Hermione responded. "Yes."

She hurried down the staircase to join her mother.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The weekend could not come soon enough for Ron.

He had spent the rest of the week in high spirits, something that everybody around him had noticed, but only Harry knew the reason for.

His friend had been very patient with him, and Ron was grateful for it. Harry had always been there for him, and in some cases, he had been more than ready to go into danger to help him. And Ron would always be a faithful friend to Harry. No matter in what danger that friendship could cause.

Their years at Hogwarts were only the beginning of the dangerous lives they were destined to live. Voldemort had guaranteed that since before they had been born. Although he had not foreseen that Harry, Ron and Hermione's close friendship was the key to his eventual defeat.

Ron left the Auror Headquarters early on Friday afternoon. Shacklebolt had given him half the day off as well as the whole day on Monday. Harry had been happy to take advantage of their long weekend and resolved to pass the time with Remus, who was sure to be a little drained after the recent full moon.

Ron hurried to his flat, after separating from his partner in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He had packed the night before and had everything ready for his move to the Granger's household. Mr. Granger had told him that they were eager to see him at dinner.

Ron took a quick look around the flat after a quick bath and change of clothes. He didn't think that arriving to the Grangers in wizard's robes was a good idea. There would be time enough to do so after they told Hermione about the wizarding world. He took a small wooden case he had placed by the bed and quickly left the flat.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was just finishing readying the table when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Called Mr. Granger, who had been reading the day's newspaper in the front parlor room.

"That must be Ron." Said Mrs. Granger as she came into the dining room carrying a couple of food platters, which she placed carefully at the center of the table.

They were dining in the dining room that evening. Her parents wanted to welcome Ron properly into their home and thought that a meal in the kitchen table was not proper.

"Do you want some help?" Asked Hermione as Mrs. Granger looked at the table with a pleased smile.

"Oh, I'm all done. I'll bring in the rest of the food when we're ready to begin. I left the rest in the oven to warm up." Mrs. Granger said.

Hermione nodded and stiffened when she heard male voices coming from the parlor room.

"We should join them." Said Mrs. Granger, pulling the strings from her apron and removing it from her clothing.

"All right." Said Hermione and sighed silently. She was still nervous about having Ron staying the weekend with them.

"Come along dear." Said Mrs. Granger as she threw the apron through the door to the kitchen.

The two women walked through the small corridor connecting the dining room to the parlor and the book room.

"A whiskey then?" Mr. Granger was asking as the women walked into the room.

"No, thank you, Mr. Granger. I think I'll prefer the wine." Ron replied and turned to look at Hermione and her mother as they entered the room.

"Hello, Ron dear." Mrs. Granger greeted him with a quick hug and a quick kiss on his cheek. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Granger." Ron said, returning her greeting. "Mum wanted me to bring this to you." He said presenting her with a small box.

"Oh, thank you dear. I'm sure these are the recipes I asked for." She said with a quick smile and placed the box on the nearest table.

"Hello, Hermione. How are you feeling?" Ron asked looking at Hermione.

He couldn't help drinking the sight of her and trying to brand her image on his mind. He felt as if it had been ages since he last saw her even though he knew perfectly well that it had been no more than two weeks.

"I'm fine." Hermione replied with a shy smile. "Is your family well?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"They're fine." Said Ron.

Hermione nodded and shyly looked down at her feet. What was she suppose to say to this man? Especially with her parents in the same room.

"Uh, Ron dear, why don't you take a seat." Urged Mrs. Granger. "John will serve you that wine before we go in for dinner."

"Thank you, Mrs. Granger." Ron said and sat at the nearest chair.

Hermione hurried to take the one opposite his.

"Do you want a little wine, Jane? Hermione?" Mr. Granger said from the small counter at one side of the room, where several decanters and corked bottles stood waiting alongside crystal glasses and goblets.

"A sherry will do, dear." Said Mrs. Granger.

"None, thanks." Hermione replied.

"Right." Mr. Granger turned to pour while the others sat to make a little conversation.

Ron barely paid attention to what was being said. He only nodded and sipped from his wine as his hosts talked and laughed. He had eyes only for Hermione and kept stealing quick glances at her. She seemed not to notice him. Hermione kept her eyes on her hands, clasped tightly on her lap, listening intently to what was being said and speaking only a little during the whole conversation.

"Well, finish your drinks dears and we'll have dinner soon. I'm just going to make sure everything is ready." Said Mrs. Granger, putting aside her glass and getting up from her seat.

"I'll help you, mum." Said Hermione, also coming to her feet.

"If you're sure." Said Mrs. Granger.

"I'm sure." Hermione knew that her mother had hoped that she would stay behind to talk to Ron. But she didn't know what to say to him and preferred to help her mother than to stay behind and feel awkward in his company.

"I'll take Ron up to his room." Mr. Granger said. "Maybe he wants to wash up before we dine."

"Thank you, Mr. Granger, I'd like that." Said Ron, quickly coming to his feet.

"Alright. Be back soon." Said Mrs. Granger as she and Hermione quickly made their way to the kitchen.

Ron watched the women leave the room with a heavy heart. The Hermione he had seen tonight was not the same Hermione he had known. It had been an awkward meeting and it had not felt right.

It was going to be a long weekend, he thought.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Mr. Granger took Ron up to the guest room. The room had been freshened up and prepared for his use earlier that day. The curtains had been cleaned, the dresser waxed and the bed tidied.

"I'm sure you'll be comfortable here." Said Mr. Granger as he opened the door to the room.

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Said Ron following him in.

"The bathroom is just across the hall and the corridor lights always remain lit during the night, in case you need to go during the night." Said Mr. Granger.

Ron nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you then. I'll wait for you in the parlor." Said Mr. Granger just before he left their guest alone in the room.

Ron looked around the guest room with curiosity. The room was spacious enough. A large dresser stood at one corner of the room, while a large television sat across from the bed. A couple of small lamps stood on top of the bedside table at each end of the bed, and a large mirror hung on the closet door.

He had been in this same room only once before, on the day Hermione had brought him to meet his parents when they first started as a couple. He had spent a nervous weekend on this room, which seemed not to have changed much since then.

Ron placed his bag on the bed and started to unpack the little he had brought with him. He pulled his wand from his hidden pocket inside his jacket and placed it on the bedside table at hand's reach. The first thing he pulled was the wooden box he had taken from his bedside table before leaving his flat and placed it in the small drawer on the table nearest to him.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was just finishing placing a tray on the table when her father came into the dining room.

"He's in the guest room now." He reported. "He should be down soon."

"We're all set." Smiled Mrs. Granger. "We can start as soon as he's ready."

Mr. Granger nodded. "I'll wait in the parlor."

Mrs. Granger placed a tea pot on a warming pan on the counter and looked around with a smile. "We're done. Let's go join your father."

Hermione nodded and looked around with some trepidation. She couldn't help but wish there was something else to do so that she did not have to join her parents at the parlor to wait for Ron.

With a resigned sigh, she pulled herself from the table and followed her mother out of the dining room.

The Grangers didn't have long to wait until Ron joined them.

"Is the room alright, dear?" Asked Mrs. Granger as soon as Ron had taken his seat.

"It's fine, Mrs. Granger." Ron replied with an easy smile.

"Let's go into the dining room, then." Said Mr. Granger. "We don't want the food to get cold."

The group moved into the dining room. Mr. and Mrs. Granger sat at each end of the table, while Ron and Hermione sat across from each other.

"Tuck in, shall we?" Smiled Mr. Granger as he started to pull the nearest platter.

Mrs. Granger laughed and turned to serve Ron.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The meal was a happy affair. There was much laughter and talk as the food was consumed and the platters were emptied.

Hermione had remained quiet at the beginning, but eventually her sunny disposition overrode her shyness and she had taken part of the conversation with much gusto.

Ron had kept a prideful eye on her. He couldn't help but compared her with her former self and he was happy to note several similarities. Hope that the old Hermione he had once known was still hidden in the shyly demeanor she now portrayed fill his body and that made him extremely happy.

"Ahh! That was a good meal, my dear." Said Mr. Granger as he leaned back on his chair.

"Thank you." Mrs. Granger smiled proudly.

"Indeed, Mrs. Granger. That was really good." Ron claimed as he finally pushed his empty plate away.

"Yes, mum. It was nice." Added Hermione. "Do you want some help cleaning up?"

"Thank you, dear. Why don't you two go to the parlor and have a chat while we clean up?" Said Mrs. Granger as she left her seat and started to pile the dirty dishes.

"If you're sure, dear. I can help." Said Mr. Granger.

"I'm sure." Said Mrs. Granger with a significant look at her husband.

Mr. Granger seemed to have understood as he motioned Ron to follow him out of the dining room as the women remained behind to clean up.

"This will give us a chance to chat a little." Said Mr. Granger as soon as they reached the parlor. "I did have a few questions for you." He added.

"Of course, Mr. Granger." Said Ron warily. He didn't know what sort of questions the Grangers had for him, but he could easily guess.

"Hermione has been having some dreams, as I told you on the phone." Began Mr. Granger. After an encouraging nod from Ron, he continued. "The therapist said that they were a good sign, as most of these dreams had magical creatures in them. But as I had told you, we have no way of knowing if they are merely figments of her imagination, or real memories. I was hoping that you could clarify them for us."

"What are these dreams?" Asked Ron curiously. He was more eager than anyone else to see if Hermione was regaining her memory.

"Well, her latest dream has to do with a troll." Mr. Granger said.

"A troll?" Ron asked with some confusion.

"Yes. The therapist confirmed that it was a troll according to Hermione's description of this creature." Replied Mr. Granger.

"Go on." Urged Ron with a frown.

"She said that she was in a bathroom, and that this troll had attacked her." Mr. Granger said thoughtfully. "That was all she could remember from the dream. Everything else just a little blurry for her to remember with exactitude."

Ron's eyes were shining happily. "She remembers the troll." He said with wonder.

"You mean it's a memory?" Asked Mr. Granger with surprise. "What was she doing in a bathroom with a troll?"

Ron looked at Mr. Granger with surprise and chagrin. He knew that Hermione had not told their parents about everything that had happened at Hogwarts during their years attending the school. He was sure that if the Grangers had known what was going on during those years, they would have kept their daughter from attending, thus keeping her from further harm.

But they had a right to know, he thought, besides, they were not at Hogwarts anymore.

With a sigh, he decided to explain the appearance of the troll in Hermione's dream.

"It was during our first year." Ron began. "On Halloween night, a troll made its way into the castle. The teachers sent the students to the dormitories, while they went to find it and drive it out. But Hermione had not been in the Great Hall when the notice was made, she was in the bathroom." Ron was not going to give a detailed account of their doings at school, but enough to explain to the Grangers the appearance of the various creatures they had dealt with at Hogwarts. "Harry and I knew that Hermione didn't know about the troll so we went to find her. The troll had entered the bathroom where she was. We eventually were able to knock him out, and nobody was hurt."

Mr. Granger shook his head with wonder. "I often wondered if Hermione was telling us all that happened at school. Her experiences seemed too tame for a magic school." He said.

Ron smiled. Their experiences at school had been anything but tame.

"So that dream was a memory after all." Said Mr. Granger with hope. "That must mean the potions are working, doesn't it?"

"I hope so. But it certainly sounds like it." Smiled Ron. "But it seems that the doctor is right in saying that we need to tell her the truth, that she's a witch."

Mr. Granger nodded. "She will never accept that dream as the memory it is if she doesn't know."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A/N: There you go, one more chapter done. As I said before, sorry it has taken me too long with the updates. I find myself with less time every week, too much work and not enough free time. I wish I could tell you that the next chapter will be up soon, but I'm not sure how long it will take me to edit it, if you know anybody (or if you're interested yourself) that would be willing to help me to proofread and edit my chapters, let me know. I have several chapters done that have to be reviewed before being uploaded. Thank you all for your patience, and enjoy the chapter.

Lady of the Lake


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hello! I'm here with another chapter all ready for you. I'm trying to complete as many chapters as I can, as I'm going on vacation next week and I don't know if I'll be able to do any writing while I'm gone. But I'll sure try to!

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Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.

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_**Chapter 14 Surprising Truths**_

Hermione and her mother returned to the parlor half an hour after they had left the men to wash the dishes. The sounds of happy laughter reached them as they prepared to join the men.

Mrs. Granger smiled happily at Hermione. "Your father always enjoyed having Ron around." She said.

Hermione nodded, but a small frown appeared on her brow. She had noticed that both her parents liked Ron very well. In fact, her mother had made sure to clean up the house from top to bottom to make a good impression on the man that had been about to be their son-in-law. This created a lot of pressure for Hermione. She knew that they all wanted her to continue her relationship with Ron, but she was not comfortable with that idea.

She liked him well enough, she supposed, but in her mind, he was a stranger and she did not know much about him. She needed time. She needed time for her memories to return, maybe then she could think about continuing a romantic relationship with Ron Weasley.

Both men were sitting on the chairs next to the fireplace. It was a cold night and the fire was a nice addition to a nice evening.

"There you are my dears." Exclaimed Mr. Granger when he noticed them enter the room. "Join us near the fire." He offered his chair to his wife, while Ron did the same with Hermione. Mr. Granger pulled two other chairs to stand them nearby the ones the Granger ladies now occupied.

"We were speaking about Fred and George." Said Mr. Granger as he sat in the new chair. "Ron says that Molly is worrying about them."

"I imagine. Those two act more like five year olds than any other five year olds I know." Mrs. Granger laughed.

"Their store is doing good, though." Added Ron. "Mum is rather surprised about that, even if she's still not too happy that they left school to start it."

"That was rather bad of them." Said Mrs. Granger shaking her head.

"Why did they leave school?" Asked Hermione. She knew that Fred and George were Ron's older twin brothers, but this was the first she heard of the two fun boys not finishing school.

Ron laughed. "They didn't like the new Headmistress of the school."

Hermione frowned. "That doesn't seem like a good reason to leave the school."

"Well, no." Said Ron. "But even though they were the only ones who left school that year, there were many who wished they could do the same. The new Headmistress was not well liked."

"But they were so near to finishing school! If only they had waited a while." Mrs. Granger exclaimed, horrified about the idea of young people not finishing their education.

"They never really wanted to finish the year in the first place." Said Ron thinking about his older brothers. "They were already of age, they had the money to start their store, not to mention most of the stock needed to open it. The only reason they had returned to school that last year was because of mum. She was expecting them to do well on their exams and wanted them to continue on dad's footsteps and work for the Ministry. But what happened later with the new Headmistress changed their minds. They really didn't care about staying on and finish the year."

"Poor Molly. I know she was really disappointed when it happened." Mrs. Granger sighed.

"She was." Nodded Ron.

The fire was roaring warmly in the grate as the four chatted comfortably amongst each other. Hermione said little but listened attentively as Ron spoke warmly about his family and friends.

The image of a large group of people eating outdoors came to mind. She could see Ron and Harry and she was certain that the others were Ron's family, they all looked much younger than the last time she had seen them.

Hermione frowned, was this a memory?

"Something wrong, Hermione dear?" Asked her mother, pulling Hermione from her thoughts.

"Uh? Oh, no. Just…thinking." Hermione said.

"It's getting late, perhaps we should have tea now and then retire for the night." Mrs. Granger said looking at her daughter with a keen eye.

"You're right." Said Mr. Granger leaning back on his seat. "We have the whole weekend to catch up."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ron had a fitful night.

For hours, he stayed awake looking out the window thinking about Hermione. What will she say when they tell her about being a witch, he wondered, what will she do?

He knew it was a big revelation, one that had better be done soon. A witch couldn't go on without doing some sort of magic for long periods of time. He was rather surprised she hadn't done so; he had expected something to have happened by now.

He frowned. Why hadn't she performed any accidental magic? He asked himself. The Grangers would have noticed the moment it had happened if she had done so. The fact that she hadn't bothered him; did the curses had any effects they had overlooked?

The waning moon was waning and the sun was rising by the time Ron was finally able to sleep.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Hermione was up very early the next morning. She wanted to be at breakfast before Ron arrived for the meal, it would allow her to observe him and maybe she could learn something about him.

She washed and dressed hurriedly. As she passed the guest room, she stopped to listen. She could hear nothing from inside the room. Was he up already? She wondered. A soft snore reached her ears. Hermione smiled. He was still sleeping.

Only her mother was in the kitchen as Hermione arrived.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Granger asked as she spied Hermione at the door.

"Fine." Said Hermione with a smile. "Need any help?"

"Just set the table, dear." Said Mrs. Granger as she turned back to the stove. "Breakfast should be ready soon."

"Where is father?" Asked Hermione as she walked to the cabinets were her mother kept the plates and silverware.

"Probably dressing. He likes to sleep late on the weekends." Replied Mrs. Granger. "He says it is the only time he can sleep longer than the rest of the week."

Hermione nodded and started to set the table.

The two women were already sitting by the table starting on their meal when Mr. Granger walked into the room.

"Good morning, ladies." He said cheerfully.

"Morning, dear." Mrs. Granger greeted her husband.

"Good morning, father." Said Hermione with a smile.

"Ron will join us soon, he was setting for the shower when I came down." Reported Mr. Granger as he took his usual seat.

"Good, I made enough for everybody this morning. I know the Weasley boys are rather ravenous in the morning." Smiled Mrs. Granger.

"In the morning and at every hour of the day." Laughed Mr. Granger.

Hermione smiled.

It wasn't long before they heard Ron coming down the stairs.

"Good morning." He greeted them as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning." The Grangers said.

Ron took the remaining seat, the one between Hermione and Mrs. Granger, and set to pile some food on the table.

"We thought we should have a chat this morning." Said Mr. Granger sending a meaningful glance at his wife.

"If you wish." Said Ron with a nod. "I have everything ready if we need it."

"What sort of talk?" Asked Hermione. She had noticed the glance her parents had shared and the slight thoughtful expression that had passed over Ron's face. Something was going on, and she didn't know if she should be happy about it or not. A wave of apprehension filled her, but she tried to push it out. There's no need to get worried, she told herself, it might be nothing.

"We thought that we should begin with some of those exercises the doctor said we should try." Said Mrs. Granger. "That way we might have something to discuss with her on our next session, on Monday."

Hermione thought that her mother's answer wasn't completely truthful, but she said nothing, she would found out soon enough.

"So how are Molly and Arthur doing with most of you kids out of the house?" Asked Mr. Granger changing the subject. "I think only Ginny remains at home now."

"Yeah. I think mum was the one that had the most trouble getting used to having us all out of the house. But our rooms are still kept as we left her. I don't think she has the heart to make any changes." Said Ron. "But we sleep at the Burrow once in a while."

"The Burrow?" Asked Hermione curiously.

"That's the name we gave our home." Replied Ron.

"That's a funny name." Smiled Hermione.

Ron shrugged. "Can't really remember why we called it like that, but it stuck and now we're used to calling it that."

The conversation continued, with several subjects flowing easily from one to another keeping them all entertained as they finished their meal.

"Why don't you two go to the parlor and we'll join you in a moment." Said Mrs. Granger as she and Hermione cleared the table.

"All right. We'll wait for you in the parlor." Said Mr. Granger leading Ron out of the room.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"How do you think we should tell her?" Asked Mr. Granger as they each took a seat on the parlor.

"I don't know." Said Ron with a frown. "Maybe I should've asked Harry to come. He might have some ideas."

"How did he find out that he was a wizard?" Asked Mr. Granger curiously.

"Hagrid told him." Ron replied. "Harry said that he wasn't getting his letters, so Hagrid went to look for him."

"I don't think that would work here." Mr. Granger smiled wryly. "I have thought about this for so long, and I still don't have any idea how to tell her."

The two men were silent for a moment, lost in thought. Soon, the moment was upon them as they heard the ladies' voices coming toward them.

"I still think that we should try it. You never know, it might help." Hermione was saying.

"I don't know dear. We'll see." Replied Mrs. Granger.

Mr. Granger and Ron turned to look at each other with looks of resignation and nervousness. The time had come to tell Hermione the truth about her talents. The question was, how to do it?

"So, what will we do today?" Asked Mrs. Granger smiling.

"I don't know, what do you have in mind?" Mr. Granger smiled to his wife. Despite the many years they had together, he was still enamored of her as he had been the first time he met her.

"Well, I brought all the family albums out of the attic last night. I thought we could all look at them together and tell Hermione about them, maybe it'll help her." Mrs. Granger said looking tentatively to the others.

Ron shrugged. "If it'll help." He said, relieved that he didn't have to tell Hermione anything yet about the magical world.

"Of course, why not." Replied Mr. Granger, making room in the couch for his wife and daughter to sit beside him.

Mrs. Granger walked to one of the bookshelves, neatly arranged along one of the walls. She took one of the many books arranged there and brought it to the couch. She sat between Hermione and Mr. Granger, while Ron perched himself behind the couch to look over their heads.

"See this, this is the first picture we took of you after returning from the hospital." Said Mrs. Granger showing the first picture in the album. She smiled and looked over at her husband. "Do you remember, darling."

"How could I forget?" Laughed Mr. Granger. "I was so nervous, I was afraid I had forgotten to buy anything we would need."

Hermione smiled. She knew that she would not remember that time in her life, but it felt good to sit here with her parents and hear them reminisce about the past.

"Who's that?" Asked Ron, pointing to a couple in the next picture.

"Oh, those were my parents." Said Mrs. Granger.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

They spent a couple of hours laughing and exclaiming over the pictures on Mrs. Granger's albums. They had gone through a couple and were now coming close to Hermione's 11th birthday pictures when they stopped.

"Let's have a break." Said Mr. Granger, stretching his arms over his head. "I could do with a drink."

"Oh, I could too." Exclaimed Mrs. Granger. "I've never talked so much in my life." She laughed.

Hermione flipped the pages over, looking at each photo carefully. She couldn't remember everything that they had spoken about, but there were times when she looked at the pictures that it came to mind things that were happening in the background as the photos were taken. It gave her hope that her memories were returning. They were coming slowly, but they were returning. And she smiled with happiness. Everything would be fine.

"Hermione? Hermione!" Hermione was snapped from her thought by her mother's voice.

"Yes?" She asked looking at her parents, who were looking at her worriedly.

"Are you alright, dear? Do you want to go to your bedroom and rest a little?" Asked Mrs. Granger apprehensively.

"No, I'll alright." Smiled Hermione.

"If you're sure." Mrs. Granger said, still looking at her daughter with worried glances. "I'm going to bring a few snacks for us. John, dear, why don't you prepare the drinks?"

"Of course." Replied Mr. Granger as his wife walked out of the room toward the kitchens. "What would you like?" He asked

"Just a juice, dad." Said Hermione.

"The same." Said Ron when Mr. Granger turned his eyes on him.

"Alright. I'll be right back." Mr. Granger said and left the young couple alone.

Hermione placed the album on top of the others on the corner table, and turned shyly toward Ron.

"This must all be boring for you." She said shyly.

"No." Ron smiled. "It's nice to know a little about your childhood. You never mentioned much about it before."

"Didn't I?" Asked Hermione looking down at her hands. What was she suppose to say to this man? Did her parents leave them alone by design?

"No, we had other things to do in school than talk about our own childhoods." Ron smiled in reminiscence.

"Like what?" Asked Hermione.

"Oh, like getting Harry out of trouble." Chuckled Ron.

"Oh, was he a troublemaker?" Hermione smiled.

"Well, not really." Replied Ron sitting beside her on the couch. "He didn't really go and look for trouble. But trouble did seem to follow him."

"Okay, here we are." Said Mrs. Granger walking in with a small fruit and sandwich platter, followed by Mr. Granger with a four glasses on a tray.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The parlor in the Granger household was full of laughter as late morning turned to afternoon. The sun was dimly shining through the wintry sky. November would now soon turn into December and the holidays were on their way.

But the group inside was not thinking about the holidays or the wintry cold that permeated the land. They were only thinking about Hermione and were full of hope that she would soon become the person she once had been.

The small break they had thought of, had become a full meal. The albums stayed forgotten on the corner table as the small group laughed from the stories told by Mr. Granger about his own childhood.

"Seems like you had a fun childhood." Said Ron as he drank his tea carefully.

"I did. It's nice to reminisce sometimes." Sighed Mr. Granger as Mrs. Granger chuckled with agreement.

"Indeed. You young people wouldn't be able to last a week if you had to live the way we did at your age." Mrs. Granger said.

"Oh, I don't know. My family's practices haven't changed much for generations." Ron replied.

Hermione seemed curious about this. "Why is that?" She asked.

Ron was thoughtful for a minute. "Well," he replied, "within our community people don't accept changes too easily. Or outsiders for that matter. Our customs have been passed from generation to generation and they had been the same for centuries."

Hermione seemed intrigued by this idea but didn't say anything more, as Mrs. Granger started to take the empty trays.

"I'll help you." She said and followed her mother out the room.

Mr. Granger turned to look at Ron. "We have to tell her." He urged. "Her mind is too quick and she will continue to ask questions."

Ron nodded. "I know." He sighed. "I think it will be best if you let me tell her."

"Of course. We'll stay in case you need us." Mr. Granger said.

They heard the voices of the women nearing the parlor.

"Well dears, should we continue with the pictures?" Asked Mrs. Granger as she and Hermione walked into the parlor.

"Maybe tomorrow." Said Mr. Granger. "It is time for Hermione to know about the special delivery she got on her eleventh birthday." He told her with a speaking glance.

Mrs. Granger looked apprehensive for a moment but quickly smiled down at her daughter, who seemed to sense the tension that invaded the others.

"A special delivery?" Hermione asked casting curious glances to her parents and Ron.

Ron sat nonchalantly on the couch. With a wry smile gracing his face. "Yes. A special delivery indeed."

Hermione frowned at Ron's tone of voice. Something was about to happen, she knew it and she didn't know whether it was a good thing or not.

"Ron will explain it to you." Mr. Granger said motioning to Hermione to sit by Ron. "He knows its significance much better than we do."

Hermione sat gingerly on the space beside Ron on the loveseat. Mrs. Granger sat slowly by her husband, waiting for Ron to explain.

"You see." Began Ron slowly. "You got a special letter on your eleventh birthday."

"A letter?" Hermione asked. What was so special about a letter? She thought.

"Yes." Nodded Ron. He was becoming more nervous by the minute. "There are certain types of children who get that letter when they turn eleven." He explained. "It's the acceptance letter for Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Asked Hermione. "What is Hogwarts?"

Ron cleared his throat nervously. Mr. and Mrs. Granger tensed on their seats.

"Hogwarts is a school." Ron said. "Our school, Harry, me, my family, we all got the same letter when we turned eleven."

"Oh." Said Hermione. "Did you go to Hogwarts too?" She asked, turning to her parents.

"No dear." Mrs. Granger said. "We didn't attend Hogwarts, we were never invited to attend, only children with a special talent are able to attend."

Hermione frowned. "What talent? What is so special about this Hogwarts?" She finally asked.

Ron glanced nervously to the Grangers, who were looking at him with apprehension.

"Hogwarts is a school of magic." He finally replied. "Its whole name is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Hermione looked confused. "What?"

"You're a witch Hermione." He said.

"Well." She exclaimed. "There is no need to be rude."

Ron laughed and the Grangers smiled nervously, but the tension that had gripped them seemed to leave the room.

Hermione looked at them with confusion. This didn't make any sense. "What is so funny?" She asked huffily.

Ron cleared his throat, trying to subdue his laughter. "I didn't mean it to be rude." He said. "I mean that you are witch, and a great one too. Top of the class for all seven years."

"I don't understand." She said. "Do you mean that I went to a school to learn magic tricks? Was this a sort of summer camp?"

Ron laughed again.

Hermione frowned. "Stop laughing." She exclaimed. "You are making no sense."

Mrs. Granger left her husband's side to sit on the chair arm by Hermione. "No dear. Hogwarts is a school for young people with the talent to create magic. Not the magic tricks that you see in television or magic acts." She explained. "We mean magic, with a real wand and incantations. Real magic."

Hermione still looked confused. How could this be? She asked herself. What were they all talking about? Was she dreaming? This just didn't seem real.

Ron took a long box from his pocket and presented it to her. "Open it." He said.

Hermione looked at her parents questioningly. After a nod from her father, she took the box from Ron and gingerly opened the lid.

Inside was a long polished wooden stick. It shined brightly on the dim light and at one end there was a sort of carved ridges around it, which she assumed was the end where it was meant to be held.

"I found it in the alley you had disappeared from." Ron said.

"What is it?'' She asked. She couldn't help the feeling of awe and sense of recognition that swam through her body. She didn't know what it was, but she did know it was important that she keep it with her.

"Your wand." Ron replied.

"Wand?" She asked.

"Yes. Take it." He said. Taking the box from her numb fingers and taking the slim wand from its folds.

Hermione took it gingerly with her thumb and forefinger.

Ron laughed again. "No, don't hold it like that. It's not going to hurt you, you know." He chuckled. "Grip it tightly in your hand."

Hermione took the wand into her hand. After a quick glance to Ron, she gripped it tightly. Sparks shot out the other end. Hermione screamed and let the wand fall to the floor.

"What is that? What happened?" She asked scared.

"That was nothing." Ron said as he retrieved the wand. "It's just letting you know that it recognizes you." He offered the wand once more, but Hermione refused to take it. With a slight shrug, he put it back into the wooden box.

Hermione still looked scared and looked at the wooden box with apprehension.

"It's not going to bite you." Ron smiled.

Hermione looked skeptical. "It shot sparks at me." She exclaimed.

"Not at you. Besides, they wouldn't have hurt you. You have done more damage with it than it has done to you." Ron said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"The wand is your tool. Is the most important tool and weapon for a witch or wizard." Ron explained. "We cannot do much without it. Some of us are not used to living as Muggles."

"Muggles?" Asked Hermione.

"Non-magic humans." Ron explained.

"Like your father and I." Said Mrs. Granger. "We were really surprised when you received your letter, we thought it was a joke. Nobody in our family has ever been a witch or a wizard. You were the first."

"You mean it is rare for anybody to be a witch or a wizard?" Asked Hermione. She seemed now more receptive about the idea of being a witch, but it was obvious that she would now have a lot more questions.

"There is a large wizarding community in England and every city in the world." Ron said. "But we don't mingle with Muggles much. History has taught us that people are not really receptive of things they don't understand. There are families that can trace their magical ancestry for many generations, even to ancient times. Like mine. But there are others where they come from a long line of Muggles, like you, who become new members to the community as soon as you enter Hogwarts."

"And what do they teach at Hogwarts?" Asked Hermione, becoming more curious about this turn of events. Being a witch was not something she had imagined herself to be. For many months, she hoped to learn or remember something of her life. But this was something she had not been ready for.

"Oh, all sorts of things." Exclaimed Ron. "Hogwarts is where young witches and wizards are trained to become full members of the wizarding community. We learn Charms, Transfiguration, Defense, Herbology, all sorts of things."

Hermione looked confused again.

"Well, never mind. We'll explain it to you later." Ron said.

"Or maybe you'll remember." Said Mr. Granger, who had been rather quiet as the revelation had been made.

"Do you think so?" Asked Hermione hopefully.

"Well, you already had some memories about Hogwarts." Said Ron.

"I have?" Asked Hermione with surprise.

"Yes. That dream you had about the troll. That happened in our first year." Ron explained.

"You mean that big ugly thing that attacked me in a bathroom." She exclaimed with horror. "That was a memory?"

"Yes." Nodded Ron.

"What was it doing in a bathroom with me?" She asked. Her eyes were opened wide with surprise, but she was also happy to know that it was a memory. She was now hopeful that her memory would soon return.

"Well, it's a long story." Said Ron with some hesitation. "Maybe Harry can help with that."

Hermione thought that he didn't really want to explain, and maybe it was because her parents were there. Had she not been open with them about what happened at this school?

"Can you do magic then?" She asked Ron.

"Of course." He said proudly.

"Well, let's see it then."

Ron smiled. He clearly remembered the first time he had seen Hermione on the Hogwarts Express on their way to their first year at Hogwarts. She had said the same thing to him at that time. But this time, he thought, he know more spells and hexes than he had then, when the only incantation he had known was one given to him by one of the twins, which ended up being a fake incantation.

Ron took his wand from his pocket. He gripped the wand with a strong grip and with an easy wave conjured a vase full of exotic plants on the coffee table.

Hermione looked at the flowers with surprise. The orchids and lilies were quite extraordinary as their colors were some she was sure did not exist naturally. Striped and checked the colors from the flowers changed every ten seconds.

She looked at Ron with awe. Perhaps, she thought, all this was really true and she had studied at a Magic School after all.

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A/N: Here you go, another chapter done, sorry if there are any grammatical mistakes or misspelled words, as I did it in kind of a hurry just trying to have this chapter all ready to upload before I left. Thank you all for your patience, real life seems to intrude more often as you grow older than it did when you are younger. Enjoy the chapter!

Lady of the Lake


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Thank you to all my very, very, very patient readers who had continued to wait for an update even though it has been more than a year for a new chapter. Several things have happened that have kept me away from fanfiction and writing and I think I will discuss them until the end for those of you who want to know. If I'm really honest, this chapter has been ready for more than two or three months, but then I didn't get the chance to uploaded and with the release of HP and the DH, I wanted to read it first before deciding to rewrite the story. I finally decided that I was going to upload the chapters I had prepared before DH for my readers to read, and then go back and then rewrite those chapters that needed editing to become more canon. So don't be surprised if you see names of characters that according to DH are not supposed to be there any longer, but if I changed this chapter to be in accordance to the latest book, I would not uploaded it now as it meant that I would have to go back first and change the rest of the story first before adding this chapter. What do you think? Did I make the right decision?

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**_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._**

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**_Chapter 15 A Magical Dream_**

Hermione didn't sleep much that night. She thought over everything she had been told that afternoon. At first it had seemed like an elaborate joke, where Ron and his parents had been in accordance to make fun of her. But now she knew it hadn't been so. How was it possible? She thought. Magic didn't exist. None of it could possibly be true. But she knew that it was. Deep down inside, she knew that all they had said was the truth and she was a witch. A fully trained witch who had studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for several years.

She closed her eyes in thought. Ron had said that dream she had of a giant gray being attacking her had been a memory. A troll, he had called that monster. An attack that had happened on Halloween night when they were eleven. She couldn't remember everything that had happened, but she was happy to know that her memory was slowly returning.

Eventually, she fell asleep.

The sun was dimly shinning through the cloudy sky. A light powder of snow had been falling since dawn and it seemed interminable.

Ron lay awake on his bed, watching the snowflakes piling around the edges of the window frame, frost starting to form on the glass.

He had thought that once Hermione knew the truth about her abilities that everything would become much easier. But now, he wasn't so sure.

Ginny had told him it would take time for Hermione to return to her old self. And there was also the possibility that she would never be the same woman she had once been. He knew he should give her some space and allow her to search for her missing self on her own. That it was a journey she would have to make on her own. But he didn't know if he could handle being a bystander and not a participant on this journey.

Since the first time they had all met, they had face all major battles together. True, the one to face most of the danger had been Harry, but Ron and Hermione had not let him face it alone. Even as the final battle approached and things seemed dire, they had stuck by him and helped him on his final mission. Now it was time for Hermione to face her own struggle, and this time, he could not be alongside for the ride.

Ron sighed disconsolately as snow outside the window seemed to fall sparingly. Harry and Ginny were expected to arrive later that afternoon to join the family for luncheon and help answer any of Hermione's questions.

The storm seemed to have come to an end by the time Ron left his bedroom. He could hear Mrs. Granger and Hermione talking in the kitchen and Mr. Granger speaking to somebody on the phone in the parlor room.

"Good morning." Said Ron as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning." The two women answered.

Hermione was sitting by the table, a plate of eggs and toast before her. Mrs. Granger was happily setting the prepared food on platters to place at the table.

"How was your sleep?" Asked Mrs. Granger as she set the platter in the middle of the table.

"Okay." Said Ron as he served himself some coffee.

"That was Marilyn." Said Mr. Granger as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh, sorry Ron. Hadn't seen you there. Had a good night?"

"Yes, thank you." Replied Ron as Mr. Granger joined them at the table.

"What did Marilyn want?" Asked Mrs. Granger. Marilyn was their assistant at the clinic and in charge of any emergencies when the Grangers were not available.

"She says there was a break in at the clinic last night." Mr. Grangers said worriedly.

"Oh no. Was anything taken?" Mrs. Granger exclaimed.

"The computers and some of the machinery. She has just begun doing an inventory and the police want a copy of the list to know what was taken." Mr. Granger said. "They want to speak to us."

"Of course, of course." Said Mrs. Granger. "When do they want to meet us?"

"As soon as possible." Mr. Granger said.

"Maybe you should go to the clinic." Said Hermione. "See if anything else is missing. Marilyn might not know what to look for."

"I doubt that, but it is a good idea." Said Mr. Granger.

Mrs. Granger was nodding her head energetically. "And we could do the insurance report as well."

"Hmmm – yes, we could do that." Mr. Granger said thoughtfully. "You two wouldn't mind if we leave you alone for the day, would you?" He asked, looking at the young couple. Maybe something good would come out of this, he thought.

"I don't mind." Said Ron.

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Added Hermione.

"And Harry and Ginny will arrive early this afternoon, so we won't be alone after all." Ron said.

"That is true." Said Mr. Granger. "Well, if you two are sure you'll be fine, maybe we should leave as soon as we are done here, my dear." He said turning to his wife. "I'm sure Marilyn would be relieved to see us there."

"Yes, I'm sure you're right." Mrs. Granger said all business-like. "We have to check that all our records have not been touched. With the loss of our computers, we'll have to do our work by hand until we can replace them."

"Isn't that dangerous? The loss of your computers, I mean." Asked Ron. "If you keep all of your patients' information on the computer, the thieves could use that information if they wished."

"We have several mechanisms around the place that would erase the memory of the computers if they are taken out of the clinic." Said Mr. Granger. "I'm not sure how it works, but he insurance company representative that installed it said that it was the best way to protect our patients from such eventuality."

Ron nodded his understanding. He still didn't know much about Muggle electronics, and if he was truthful with himself, he was not too eager to know. The Muggle world was still an enigma to him, but as he didn't have to do much work around Muggles, he saw no need to breach that gap of his education. Besides, he thought, if there was ever a need to work among Muggles, Harry was more than able to lead him through any problem that might arise.

The Grangers finished their meal before Hermione and Ron, and only after Hermione told her mother that she would clean up afterwards did the Grangers leave the kitchen to prepare for their visit to the clinic.

Half an hour later, Ron and Hermione found themselves alone in the otherwise empty house, cleaning up the remains of their breakfast.

"I hope it's not too bad." Said Hermione, thinking about her parents.

"I think they know what needs to be done." Ron said as helped with the dishes.

"At what time will Harry and Ginny come?" Asked Hermione nervously. This was the first time she was alone with Ron and a sense of trepidation had filled her body the moment her parents had left the house. She didn't know what to say to him, or how to keep him entertained until his friend and sister were due to arrive.

"At noon." Said Ron.

Hermione turned to look at the clock, they still had two more hours until their friends joined them. She looked at the young men with apprehension. What could they do to keep themselves entertained for the time remaining?

"Tell me about Hogwarts." She suddenly asked.

It seemed that it was the perfect thing to say as Ron became excited as he started to talk about the old castle.

"It was built more than a thousand years ago, you know." He was saying. "Can't remember much of the history. You were the only person I know who ever read 'Hogwarts a History' from cover to cover."

"Was I?" Asked Hermione. Whenever Ron had spoken about their times at school, he had painted her as a bookish sort of student. She had not thought of herself as such since she woke up in the hospital after her attack, and she wondered how different she had become from the woman she used to be.

"…and of course the grounds are rather extensive. Hagrid takes good care of them. There is the lake beside the castle and the Forbidden Forest near Hagrid's cabin. The Quidditch Pitch is of course my favorite – "

"Quidditch Pitch?" Interrupted Hermione, what is Quidditch? She wondered.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry." Ron had forgotten for a moment that Hermione had no idea what he was talking about. "Quidditch is our sport." He said. "It's played on brooms in the air, with seven players and four balls."

"It sounds like a complicated sport." Hermione said with a frown as she tried to picture what this game was supposed to look like.

"Well, some people don't really understand the technical side of the sport." Ron said. "You never did, but it is an excited sport to watch all the same."

"Was is played often at school then?" Hermione asked.

"There is a Quidditch Championship played every year." Said Ron. "Each house has it's own team and they each participate to win the Cup."

"Did you play?" Hermione asked, noticing the excitement in Ron's expression.

"Keeper, since our fifth year. Of course, Harry was the better player. He played Seeker since first year. Youngest player ever in the last one hundred years." Ron said.

Keeper? Seeker? Hermione asked herself, but did not ask as Ron continued explaining about the other things students did outside of their school activities.

"Hogsmeade is doing better now, of course." Ron was saying. "For a while there we thought it would become a deserted town, but after Vol – I mean, after a while it started to pick up again."

Hermione noticed his hesitation, but decided to say nothing about it and continued listening to his recitation of the shops found in Hogsmeade.

"The Three Broomsticks' still there of course, so is the Hog's Head. Although it's still as seedy as it has always been. Fred and George did buy Zonko's old premises after we left Hogwarts. They're doing well. They're thinking of expanding to Paris and maybe even America. So far they only do some minor exportation of their products." Ron continued.

"Fred and George have a business?" Hermione asked with surprise. She remembered Ron's twin brothers, who had seemed to her more interested in jokes and easy living that she had never imagined them as business men.

"Yes. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." Ron said with some pride about his brothers' accomplishments. "They started it when they were still in school. Harry gave them some money and they established their first store in Diagon Alley right after leaving school. They have now two stores, the one in Diagon Alley, and the other at Hogsmeade."

"What sort of shop is it?" Asked Hermione intrigued.

"A joke shop." Ron smiled. "I can't imagine them doing anything else. Not with the sort of pranksters they are. They're doing rather well too. Zonko's used to be their major competitor when they first started. It had been in business for so long after all. But after a while most of the Zonko's stores in England had been closed off. Some still remain, but mostly in the continent."

The grandfather clock in the parlor rang the hour. It was noon.

Hermione was surprised at how fast the time seemed to have passed. Just as she had thought this, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Said Ron, motioning her to remain in her seat.

Hermione watched him go out of the parlor, and heard voices soon after as he opened the door.

* * *

Harry had told Ginny that he would pick her up at the Burrow at half past eleven that morning. And Ginny wanted to be on time when he arrived.

A slight storm was falling as Ginny awoke early that morning. The house was silent, as all of her siblings had left the Burrow to live with their own families or on their own some time ago. She was the only one remaining to live with her parents. A situation she was not happy about sometimes. But on days like this, she was happy that she lived with her parents, as she smelled the delicious aromas of her mother's cooking. She was not a good cook, she had never been, even after all the training she got from her own mother, who everybody agreed was the best cook they had ever known. Even Harry preferred Mrs. Weasley's cooking than any other witch's.

She washed and dressed with care before leaving her room and climbing down to the kitchen.

"Morning, Ginny dear. Did you have a good night?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as Ginny walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah." Ginny said as she took a seat next to her father.

Mr. Weasley was hidden behind his copy of the Daily Prophet, while Mrs. Weasley was just finishing their breakfast.

"Anything new?" Asked Ginny as her father put the newspaper away.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He said as he leaned to give her a fatherly kiss on her cheek. "What time is Harry picking you up?"

"Eleven thirty." Ginny replied.

Mrs. Weasley placed the sausage and bacon platter in the middle of the table. "How do you suppose Hermione will take the news?" She asked as she returned to the stove to gather the eggs and the warm biscuits waiting to be placed on the table.

Ginny shrugged as she started to pile sausages and strips of bacon on her plate. "As a joke, I think." She said. "I just hope Ron doesn't screws it up."

"Really, Ginny." Chided Mrs. Weasley, sitting at the table with her family. "You really must have more respect for your brother."

Ginny rolled her eyes but said nothing. When it came to romance, Ron was the least knowledgeable of all the Weasley siblings, and because of his pride, it was very difficult for him to ask for advice from the rest. She could not forget how long it took Ron to finally acknowledge his feelings for Hermione. If it hadn't been for the war and the danger they all found themselves in those last months, Ron would never have said anything to Hermione and would have lost her for good. The debacle with Lavender Brown in their sixth year had been close to drive Hermione away. Or at least, Ginny thought so. It still surprised her that Hermione had remained hopeful through it all.

" – I don't know what they are thinking. They are going to get themselves killed one of these days." Mrs. Weasley was saying.

Ginny pulled her mind together and turned her thoughts back to the present, she had not heard anything her parents had been speaking about since they started their meal.

"I'm sure they know what they're doing." Said Mr. Weasley. "They have done quite well since they opened their first store."

"Oh, I'm not saying anything about their business acumen. I'm just don't like that they try all their products on themselves. It could be dangerous." Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Better they try them on themselves than hurting somebody else, don't you think?" Said Ginny. That the twins had become successful entrepreneurs had been a complete surprise to the family. Their products had become popular since they first opened their doors at Diagon Alley, and the fact that the Ministry of Magic had made regular orders for certain products had cemented their success. They had been extremely happy when she told them that their products had been added to Filch's list of forbidden items. They had gleefully created innovative ways to get their products to their young clients at Hogwarts that would fool Filch to their true origin.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. That most of her children had grown up and had left home to make their own was still troubling for her. Bill had been the first to do so, and the fact that he had done so right after the attack on Hogwarts where he had been injured had been troubling for Molly. She still thought that his and Fleur's wedding should have been postponed for a few months while he recuperated fully, instead of going through with it as it had been originally planned. It had worried her that the war had become more dangerous around that time. None of them knew that it would soon reach its climax in the way it did. Thankfully, the end of the war had passed and everybody was left to pull their lives together again without the shadow of You-Know-Who above them.

The rest of the meal passed with no further word, as they turned their attention to their meal.

"Are you not going to the Ministry today, dad?" Ginny finally asked as she pushed away her empty plate.

"No. There's nothing that needs my attention at the moment." Mr. Weasley said putting aside his newspaper. "There are others that can take care of anything that comes up for the day."

"And it is about time that your father stopped working so many hours." Mrs. Weasley said, as she started to clear the table. "For too many years he has been slaving away at the Ministry without the opportunity to take some time off. It's just too bad that now that he can all of you children are already grown up and away from home most of the time."

Ginny smiling went to her mother and hugged her. "Poor mum." She murmured. "You are suffering from the Empty Nest Syndrome aren't you?"

"What are you talking about Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley snapped and shrugged her daughter's embrace aside. "Empty Nest indeed." She scoffed.

Ginny chuckled at her mother's denial. She knew her mother was too saddened at the thought of just her and her husband living alone in this old house. And a time would come when Ginny herself would leave as well. Maybe not anytime near but sometime she would.

There was a knock on the kitchen door, before a voice called out. "Anybody home?"

Harry peered in through the window and waved.

Ginny opened the door, while Mrs. Weasley greeted him happily.

"Harry dear! So nice to see you. Have you eaten yet? I still have some eggs and bacon if you want them." Mrs. Weasley was having a hard time cooking for just three people and every day she had leftovers every meal that she still put aside in the hope that one of her children would visit.

"I have eaten, thank you anyways." Harry said as he kissed Mrs. Weasley's cheek.

"Oh, well, if you are sure." Mrs. Weasley smiled resignedly and she started to pack away the leftovers.

"I know I'm early, Ginny." Harry said after shaking Mr. Weasley's hand in greeting. "But I thought we could go to Diagon Alley and buy something for Hermione before meeting her and Ron."

"That's a good idea." Ginny said. "Just give me time to change and we can leave."

Ginny hurried out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs.

"What are you getting Hermione, Harry dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked curiously.

"I don't know, that's why I want Ginny to come along, maybe she would have some ideas." Harry explained, eating some of the biscuits Mrs. Weasley had placed before him.

* * *

It didn't take Ginny long to change. A half an hour after his arrival, Harry and Ginny were saying goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and apparating out to Diagon Alley.

"Where to?" Asked Ginny as they crossed the entryway to Diagon Alley.

"I don't know. What do you think she'd like?" Harry asked looking around the familiar sights.

"The old Hermione would've loved a book." Said Ginny. "Now, I'm not so sure."

"That's the problem, isn't it?" Said Harry as they started to walk past the shops.

"What about that?" Ginny asked stopping in front of one of the window displays.

A small glass orb glistened on top of a red pillow displayed in the window. The words SEE THE MAGICAL WORLD IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND could be read on the sign below it.

"What is it?" Asked Harry.

"Oh, it shows sights of the most popular sights around the magical world." Said Ginny. "Sort of a novelty item really."

"It would be perfect, wouldn't it?" Said Harry thoughtfully. "Maybe the sights would trigger some of her memories."

"Hmmm – you're right, it could." Replied Ginny. "We'll have to choose the sights we want it to display carefully. Come on." And grabbing Harry's hand, she led him through the shop's door.

Minutes later they walked out of the small shop with a wrapped package.

"We're just in time to make it to Hermione's house." Said Harry, glancing at his watch.

"Let's do this then." Said Ginny.

Moments later, the couple apparated in a shadowed alley behind the Grangers' house. Harry looked around carefully to make sure they were not glimpsed by any neighbors and led Ginny out to walk around to the front door of the Granger home.

* * *

Hermione was nervously waiting in the parlor when Ron opened the door to his sister and best friend.

"About time you made it here." He said as a greeting.

"Nice to see you too, brother dear." Ginny glared at her brother. Honestly, she thought, he never learned any manners.

"Never mind." Ron said. "She's waiting for us in the parlor."

"Did you tell her?" Harry asked as he closed the front door behind him.

"Last night." Replied Ron.

"How did she take it?" Ginny asked glancing at the doorway to the parlor where she knew Hermione was waiting for them to join her.

"A bit of a shock." Said Ron running his fingers through his hair.

"Maybe it would shock the amnesia out of her." Shrugged Harry.

"It doesn't work like that, you dolt." Snapped Ginny. "Honestly, I don't know how you two are considered the best among your peers."

She started to walk toward the parlor before Harry and Ron could respond, but she did hear them mumbling to each other as they walked into sight of Hermione.

"Hello, Hermione. How are you doing?" Ginny asked pleasantly, walking toward her friend.

"Fine, thank you." Said Hermione with a slight smile. She couldn't help but think that she was now in the presence of three people who according to Ron had magical abilities like her own and wondered what it was like to live among a magical world.

"We brought you a gift." Said Harry, extracting a small package from his pocket.

Hermione took it gingerly and opened it with suppressed excitement. A small glass orb glistened inside the box.

"What – what is it?" She asked looking down at the orb with confusion.

"It's just a small novelty we found in Diagon Alley. We thought you'd like it." Said Ginny taking the small orb from the box and placing it in Hermione's hand.

"What does it do?" Hermione asked with curiosity.

"Watch." Ginny said and with a light tap on the orb with her finger the orb began to shine brightly. Instantly a castle could be seen in its depths. It was an old castle, with extensive grounds and a large lake on one side. In the distance she could see a forest and what looked like large rings on tall poles nearby.

"Oh." Hermione sighed as the castle came into view.

"It's Hogwarts." Ginny said, pleased with Hermione's reaction to their gift.

The scene changed and in its place a winding, narrow, cobbled alley came into view. Colorful shops and busy shoppers walked by.

"That's Diagon Alley." Harry explained.

"Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked as she continued to look at the scene with awe.

"That's where we do most of our shopping." Ron said coming round the couch to watch the scenes behind her shoulder. "At least most of us do. Harry doesn't go as often as he used to."

"Why?" Asked Hermione turning to look at Harry, who was glaring at Ron above her head.

"Too many people around." Harry finally said. "Don't like to have too many people around when I shop."

The scene in the orb had changed again as they talked and now it was showing a large room; fireplaces lined both sides and a large fountain graced one side of the hall.

"The Atrium of the Ministry." Ron explained before Hermione could ask.

Hermione nodded and looked with pleasure as the scene changed back to a view of Hogwarts.

"We could only put three scenes." Ginny asked. "But we thought you'd like those."

"Oh, I love it. Thank you." Hermione exclaimed.

"I'm glad you like it. We weren't sure what to get you." Said Harry as he sat back on the chair close to Hermione.

Hermione was looking as the scenes changed. She liked her gift, she couldn't remember these places, but she could now have an idea of what Hogwarts looked like. She had been curious since Ron had mentioned it the night before. What had it been like to live there, she wondered.

"Where are your parents, Hermione?" Asked Ginny as she noticed that the Grangers didn't seem to be around.

"Oh, they had to go to the clinic." Hermione replied, looking away from the scene of Hogwarts showing in the orb.

"I thought they didn't work weekends." Harry said, stretching his legs out as he made himself comfortable in a nearby armchair.

"There was a break in last night." Ron explained. "They went to talk to the authorities and make an inventory of the things that were taken."

"Are we sure it was muggle then?" Harry asked. He looked relaxed and unconcerned, but Ron knew that inside he was worried and wary.

"Seems that way." Ron said with a shrug. "We would've been told if it weren't."

"What do you mean?" Asked Hermione, sensing the wariness flowing from the two wizards.

"They just think that everything is under their jurisdiction." Ginny scoffed. "Aurors can be too arrogant at times."

"We're not arrogant. We just want to know that nobody was hurt, is all." Ron exclaimed taking umbrage at his sister's words. He didn't want Hermione to think too badly of him, he wanted to woo her after all.

"What are aurors?" Asked Hermione.

"Same thing as police officers." Explained Harry.

"Oh." Said Hermione nodding her understanding. "I imagine wizards can have criminals as well."

Harry restrained himself from sneering. Hermione was not at fault that she couldn't remember the evil things wizards could be capable of. But he did nod as she continued to look questioningly at him.

"So, what are we having?" Ginny asked, trying to change the subject. She knew that Harry still had dark thoughts about dark wizards, and she didn't want to scare Hermione with the things that Harry could say, even though she saw that Harry was trying hard to restrain himself from saying anything to Hermione.

Hermione looked at her guests with horror. She had forgotten that her newfound friends had been invited to luncheon. There was nothing prepared as her parents left just as they finished breakfast and she didn't think she could prepare something edible in so little time.

"Oh no." She said looking behind her shoulder to Ron.

"What?" He asked looking down into the horrified face of his beloved.

"There's nothing prepared." She said. "I don't think I can cook anything in so short a time."

"I was never a good cook." Ron said with a sheepish expression.

"Don't look at me. I can only prepare eggs." Said Ginny with a shrug.

"And I don't know how to prepare a whole meal." Said Harry. "I'm afraid that I don't know any cooking spells, either."

"We can order something." Shrugged Ron. He was used to take out, as he hadn't prepared many meals since Hermione had been kidnapped.

"You have muggle money? Because I don't." Asked Ginny thoughtfully.

"I don't." Said Ron. "Didn't think I'd need it."

"I don't think I have enough." Said Harry looking through his wallet.

"Oh, I don't know if my parents keep any here." Hermione said.

"We could go to The Leaky Cauldron." Ginny replied.

"Yes. And we could go down through Diagon Alley, if you want to see it Hermione." Ron exclaimed.

"Oh, could we go?" Hermione said excitedly at the thought of a trip down the magical shopping area.

"Don't see why not." Said Harry. "You'll have to apparate with her, Ron."

"Of course." Said Ron.

"Apparate?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

"To disappear and appear instantly somewhere else." Ginny explained. "Maybe we should leave a note to your parents so they know where we are in case they return early."

"Oh, yes of course." Said Hermione hurrying to the kitchen to get the pad and pen from the drawer near the stove.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" Asked Harry. "Taking her to Diagon Alley, I mean."

"She has to get some exposure to the magical world at some time." Ginny said. "Maybe being in Diagon Alley will trigger more memories."

"And that's what we're here for, aren't we?" Asked Ron with a shrug. "To help her remember."

"I suppose." Said Harry, but he still didn't seem so sure.

"I left the note in the kitchen table." Said Hermione as soon as she returned to the parlor.

"Alright then. Hermione, you need to take hold of my sleeve as we apparate. Don't let go, no matter how scared or nervous you may feel." Ron said as they prepared to leave.

Hermione nodded and grabbed tightly to Ron's sleeve.

With a sharp crack, the foursome disappeared from the room.

* * *

A/N: There is a second chapter that I had prepared at the same time I did this one, so I think I will uploaded as well. Now, I did promise that I would explain some of the reasons that have kept me away for the past year, but it was becoming rather long so I decided to post it in my profile, so if you want to know, just click on my name at the top of the page and read at the bottom of the profile section. Or, you can click on the arrow below and read the next chapter, and then click on my name to read my profile. 


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy it.

* * *

**_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain._**

* * *

**_Chapter 16 Return to Diagon Alley_**

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny apparated among the trash cans and empty boxes in a dirty alley not far from The Leaky Cauldron.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Ron asked as he turned to look at Hermione who still wore a nervous look on her face.

"Well, no. But I think I prefer to ride a car." Hermione laughed shakily.

"Oh, but this is much quicker." Ginny said. "And you get used to it after you do it often."

"I still prefer brooms." Harry said as the four started to walk out of the alley and make their way to pub nearby. "But apparition has its uses."

"A broom?" Hermione asked with an amused smile. She still couldn't think how a broom could be used as a transport.

"Oh, Harry is a great flyer." Ginny said. "He made it into the House Team in his first year, it doesn't happen very often at Hogwarts."

"Youngest Quidditch player in a century, wasn't it Harry?" Smiled Ron at his friend's discomfort.

"If I remember correctly." Harry mumbled but didn't say any more.

Hermione walked calmly beside Ron, still clutching his sleeve, as if she was scared of getting lost if she didn't match his stride. Ron was only too happy to keep her beside him.

The dilapidated wooden sign above the unobtrusive door of an old looking building seemed to be barely hanging by a thread. Hermione looked about her curiously and was slightly skeptical about going inside the old pub.

The atmosphere inside the pub was so different to the other places she had been in with her parents. The patrons in this pub were grouped among the many tables, whispering or laughing out loud. An old man stooped behind the counter, chatting amicably with those patrons sitting on the barstools.

"Tom, could we have some menus." Called Ron with a quick wave to the bartender.

Tom waved back to acknowledge his request.

Ron led the group to one of the empty corner tables, one that seemed more private then the rest. He was well aware of Harry's dislike for public acknowledgement and wanted his friend to be comfortable during their meal.

A young witch appeared at their table as soon as they took their seats.

"Do you want anything to drink?" She asked as she glanced shyly in Harry's direction.

"Just bring four butterbeers for now." Said Ron while the others looked over the menu. Harry ignored their waitress' interested glances.

The waitress nodded and retired to the bar, where she promptly began whispering with those at the bar while Tom got the butterbeers for her order.

"She seems interested in you, Harry." Said Hermione with a teasing smile.

"There are many women interested in Harry." Ginny scoffed.

Harry smiled bitterly but didn't say anything.

Hermione glanced at the couple before her thoughtfully, somehow she knew that there was a history there, and even though it was clear that they were still friends and obviously spent a lot of their time together, there was still some tenseness and maybe some awareness among her two friends.

"Yes, well, that's what fame does for you, I guess." Said Ron breaking the silence that seemed to have fallen over their table. "What do you want to eat anyways?" He asked changing the subject.

"What is this?" Asked Hermione to Ron pointing to an item on the menu. While Ron explained, the waitress returned with their drinks and waited to note their order.

The group quickly ordered their food and waited until the waitress left before they continued with their discussion.

"You'll like Diagon Alley." Ginny was saying. "You always did. We can end with a visit to Fred and George's shop."

"I haven't been in there for quite a while." Ron said. "Anything new?"

"None that I noticed when I was last there." Ginny said. "But I was there for only a minute, and I really didn't look around."

"Neither did I when I was there." Said Harry. "I just went in to say a quick hi."

"They are bound to be busy." Hermione said. "With the holidays coming, they must have a lot of customers."

"Oh, no. Most of their customers are at Hogwarts at this time of the year. Many of them mail their orders or visit their store at Hogsmeade." Ron said. "The only ones who visit their store at this time are parents with small kids and they don't buy as much as when they come in with their older kids."

"Most of their products are designed for school age children." Said Ginny. "But then again, there is the select line that is designed for Ministry employees."

"But most of the public doesn't see those products. They are well protected in their select sales room." Harry said. "You have to posses a specially made badge to enter, not to mention pass through a series of wards that keep dark wizards from entering."

"You can fake the badge, but you cannot take a way the Dark Mark or dark magic residual from your body."

"Dark Magic residual?" Asked Hermione.

"Most magic leaves a residual in your body every time you use it." Harry explained. "The more you use it the more stronger it gets. But if the magic you use is dark or the intention when you use it is for evil, a residual is also left behind. Through some experimentation in the last couple of years a series of wards have been created in the Ministry that keep those who use magic for evil to penetrate, no matter if they are in disguise. Not even a person under Imperius can cross the wards."

"Imperius?" Hermione asked hesitantly. By the note on Harry's voice when he mentioned the curse, she knew it was dark magic, but she wanted to understand what it meant.

"The Imperius Curse allows the caster to take control of another person." Ron explained. "Dark wizards use it to make others do their dirty work for them. But because Imperius is an Unforgivable, and is classified as dark magic, the wards keep those under the curse from crossing the wards, even if in the past they had been able to make it across."

"Oh. But why do your brothers have such wards at their shop?" Asked Hermione in confusion. "Isn't it a joke shop?"

"It is. But there is a select line of items that they created that are used by Ministry employees, especially Aurors, in their fight against Dark Wizards." Harry explained. "In the beginning of the war, some of the dark wizards were able to get their hands on these items. To keep that from happening again, we placed the new wards on the room where the select line is kept and the items are charmed to work only for those with no trace of dark magic."

"But – but what happens if in a course of a battle there is no choice left but use dark magic to protect yourself. Will the items stop working for you then?" Asked Hermione interested in these items that seemed to be designed to know who to work for.

"Oh no, it doesn't work that way." Ginny replied. "The way you use the magic is what leaves the residual, if you use any sort of magic to do evil, then dark magic residual will be left, even if it is a simple levitation spell, something that all young witches and wizards learn in their first year at school. But if you use a spell that can be usually used for evil, but use it for self protection or with the purpose of protecting others, no dark magic residual is left. Of course, there are some spells that in its nature are dark, so no matter for what reason you use it, it will always leave dark magic residual, but only if you use them often will it trigger the charms on the items."

The conversation was halted as the waitress returned to the table with their orders.

"Are there many Dark Wizards?" Hermione asked hesitantly after the waitress had retired.

"Not as many as there once were." Replied Harry.

Hermione seemed curious by this answer.

"There was an evil wizards a while back, but he was killed four years ago." Said Ron. "There are a few of his followers active now and then, but not many. Most were killed or apprehended when he was killed."

"I see." Hermione could clearly see that the subject was a little uncomfortable for her companions, and wondered what they could possibly had experience during those times this evil wizard had lived.

"It was a group of these followers that attacked you." Harry mentioned tentatively.

The others around the table became silent. Ron glared at his friend before turning a concerned look toward Hermione.

Hermione placed her fork next to her plate thoughtfully. "Were they caught?" She eventually asked after a few moments in silence.

"Yes." Said Ron. "We made sure to do so as soon as we knew where they were hiding."

"Also the people who masterminded the attack were apprehended." Ginny reported quickly as she noticed that the idea, that the people who had attacked her were now captured, seemed to make Hermione unconcerned once more.

"That's good." Hermione said and continued on with her meal as if the terror that had invaded her body at the mention of the people who attacked her seemed to recede.

* * *

After their meal was over, Harry, Ron, and Ginny, led Hermione to the back wall of the pub and opened the doorway to Diagon Alley.

Hermione watched in awe as the bricks parted and the entrance into the Alley was revealed. People were walking from one shop to another as many of the shops displayed their wares among the many decorations and signs in their windows.

"The holidays are coming, so there are a lot of people around." Ginny said as she glimpsed a woman loaded with many shopping bags in her arms. "Must be a squib if she hasn't thought about shrinking those packages." She murmured.

"Squib?" Asked Hermione as she stood beside Ginny looking around the shopping lane.

"A non-magical person born out of magical parentage." Ginny explained. "It's the opposite of a Muggle-born."

"I'm a Muggle-born, right?" Asked Hermione as she tried to keep all the new facts clear in her mind.

"Yes. So was Harry's mother." Ginny replied.

"Let's go to Gringotts, I need to withdraw some gold." Said Harry leading the group through the crowds.

"Good idea. Might as well do some shopping since I'm now here." Replied Ron, taking care that he didn't lose sight of Hermione as they walked toward the tall edifice.

"What is Gringotts?" Asked Hermione, looking back to Ron for the answer.

"Wizarding bank." Explained Ron. "All the wizard gold can be found in Gringotts. Safest place in the world."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked curiously as she followed Harry and Ginny who seemed in light conversation walking before her.

"The vaults are found underground. Nobody can break in, and if they do, it would be difficult to make it out alive." Ron said. "The goblins are in charge for its safety and administration and they are a miserly lot, they keep a very tight control of the vaults."

Hermione nodded but she couldn't imagine how it was possible to have a series of vaults underground so tightly controlled that nobody could break into them.

The white building rose stately before them. Hermione watched warily as a being, which she assumed was a goblin, opened the door for them. The counters along the long hall were busy as wizards and witches in long robes stood before goblins behind the counters making transactions. Jewels and gold coins were being inspected and weighted. Muggle money was being exchanged and a long queue had formed in the middle of the hall waiting to be helped.

"Ugh – I forgot how busy it got during this time of year." Ron moaned as they saw the line forming.

"Well, it can't be helped, I need to go into my vault." Said Harry with a shrug as he walked toward the line.

The others followed. Hermione was only too eager to see the vaults and inspect the currency, which she could see was so different from the money she was used to handling in the last few months.

The line was constantly moving as people were helped in rapid succession. They did not have to wait more than fifteen minutes to walk up to a free goblin.

"Harry Potter to make a withdrawal." Said Harry pulling a golden key from his pocket and presenting it to the goblin.

The goblin took the key and inspected it as if he could read information from it. "It all seems right." The goblin said and returned the key to Harry.

"Ronald Weasley." Ron said as he presented his own key for inspection.

"Do I have a vault?" Hermione whispered as the goblin inspected Ron's key.

"Do you want to go in? I have it if you want to use it." Ron whispered back withdrawing another key from his pocket.

"Oh, yes. I'd like that." Said Hermione taking the key with great pleasure. The idea that she had her own vault made the sense of being part of this world more real.

The goblin nodded and returned the key to Ron.

"Hermione Granger." Said Hermione, eagerly presenting her own key.

Ginny shrugged and withdrew her own key. "As long as you're all visiting your vaults I guess I might as well. I could do with some gold in my pocket." She waited for Hermione to receive her key before presenting her own key.

Once her key had been inspected and approved, the goblin motioned for another goblin. "Take them to the vaults." The goblin behind the counter ordered.

The group walked through the doorway following their guide goblin into the underground rail system that would take them to the vaults.

Hermione enjoyed the ride into the depths of the cavern. She tried to look around and keep track of the many turns made toward the first vault, but it was impossible to do so after a few quick turns. Instead, she sat back and tried to enjoy the ride.

The first vault they stopped at was Harry's. They scrambled out to the platform and the goblin asked for the key. The door opened promptly and several mounds of gold, silver and copper coins could be glimpsed from the door.

"Where's the rest?" Asked Ron after Harry had withdrawn a bag full of coins and the door had been closed.

"In my other vault." Replied Harry as they all got back into the cart.

"How many vaults do you have?" Asked Hermione curiously. It had seemed to her that Harry had enough gold in the vault they had visited to keep him in happy comfort for the rest of his life.

"Two. The other is a high security vault." Said Harry. "I keep objects and the rest of my gold there. I don't visit it very often."

"It was inherited from his godfather." Ron whispered gently to Hermione, while Ginny made another question to Harry.

By Ron's tone of voice, Hermione surmised that the subject of his godfather was a hard one for Harry. She didn't know the details yet, but she was sure she would eventually know.

Ginny's vault was next. It was not as full of coins as Harry's had been, but she seemed happy enough to glimpse her stacking wages.

"I opened it only recently." Ginny smiled to Hermione. "I didn't start getting any wages until the beginning of the summer." She added proudly.

Hermione smiled. She could see that Ginny was proud that she was now getting wages, and she could now have her own vault.

Hermione's vault was opened next. Her stacks of coins were not as numerous as Harry's but it contained a respectable amount. Ron helped her figure out how much to place in her bag as he explained how the currency worked and what it equaled to in Muggle money. Once she was satisfied and the door had been closed they walked to a vault a few feet away, which belonged to Ron.

Hermione could only surmise that Ron worked at a well-paying job as she saw the large mounds of coins that while they were not as high and numerous as Harry's had been, they glittered in the dark vault. Ron took his bag and shoved some gold in before leaving his vault and joining the others waiting out by the cart.

"We're ready to shop now." He smiled.

The ride back was not as long as the ride in. Hermione supposed that all the stops and turns to make it to each vault was what made it seemed like a long ride.

They stepped out of the building cheerfully. The darkness and dampness of the cavern had started to make Hermione feel a little claustrophobic. The diverse shops were waiting for their custom.

They walked from store to store, stopping to look at the wares displayed in the windows for Hermione to have a look, but they didn't go in to most of them.

They did enter Flourish and Blotts, however, as Hermione seemed very interested in the many books that lined the walls of the shop.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as they walked into the shop. "So many books." Her eyes glittered with anticipation as she looked over the stocked shelves around her.

Ron chuckled at her obvious excitement. "Come, let's look around." He said pushing her gently toward the nearest shelf.

They visited every major shop, after which they carried many shopping bags in their hands. The last shop to visit was the twins'.

"There you are!"

"Our first investor." The twins exclaimed as soon as Harry walked into the shop.

"What about us? We're here too." Said Ginny with a frown. "Every time we come you only have eyes for Harry."

"Well, but you are only family." Fred said with a disinterested wave of the hand.

"Only? We had to deal with your experiments for years." Said Ron leading Hermione into the shop after Ginny and Harry. "For years we had to hear explosions and weird noises coming from their rooms, and they don't even let us have a discount when we come here." He said to Hermione.

"Hermione!"

"How are you feeling?" The twins said as they glimpsed the brown haired lady next to their youngest brother.

"I'm well." She said as she looked around her with curiosity.

"Here, let me give you a tour." Offered George, taking Hermione's hand in his and pulling her toward the nearest display.

"This is our latest product – " George was explaining while Fred turned to his brother with a slight frown. "How is she doing?"

"Fine." Ron said. "She still doesn't remember much but there are some memories here and there."

"What memories?" Fred asked as he watched his twin drag Hermione to the next display.

"From school mostly." Ron explained. "Usually she dreams them and she didn't think they were real memories, but now that she knows about Hogwarts she might get frequent glimpses of our school days."

"That's good isn't it?" Fred asked.

"It is. She will still need to see the therapist and take the potions that the healer gave her, but in time the memories will return." Said Ginny, who was looking at the young customers who were excitingly looking over the products nearby.

They heard Hermione laugh and they all turned to watch her as George showed her one fake wand after another, making her laugh as each changed with every wave.

"So what's new?" Asked Harry as he looked around the shop.

Young shoppers filled the store. Many parents were lined up by the registers waiting to pay for their children's chosen items as many of those children waited patiently (in some cases impatiently) for them to leave the store with their new purchases.

"I'm assuming you want to see the special line." Said Fred as he led them through the store toward the special sales room, where they kept the items made especially for Ministry employees.

"We have just revealed our new line of portkeys." Fred said as he opened the door for them. "They are designed to look like jewelry, to make them look more common place you see." He explained as they walked toward a glass case were an assortment of jewelry was displayed. "They are custom made to the needs of the wearer. If the wearer is an Auror, then the portkey will activate if the wearer is injured, if the wearer is just a low level employee, then the portkey will activate the moment any dark magic is detected in the vicinity."

"Where are they taken?" Harry asked as he looked over the jewelry.

"Well, if the Auror is injured, he'll be taken to St. Mungo's. A special ward has been created for them to be transported into. If it's made to activate the moment dark magic is detected then the place to be taken to must be chosen by the wearer at the moment of purchase. People have different places they want to go to in order to feel safe." Fred explained. "We thought about them after Hermione's kidnapping you know." He added after a second of hesitation.

"Why?" Asked Ron, who had been looking at the other products nearby.

"Well, if she had been wearing one of these the day she was attacked, the portkey would have been activated the moment she sensed something was wrong and she would've been gone from there before the Death Eaters did anything, now wouldn't she." Fred said.

"I suppose." Ron mumbled as he took a closer look at the jewelry.

"We have been selling them like candy the moment they were introduced. Many people are still afraid of the Death Eaters, I guess." Fred said.

Hermione was in alt. She had never imagined that such a world existed hidden behind all the old facades of the city. She wondered if there was something similar in the city she had spent so many months trying to find her way to her family. What would've happened, she wondered, if it had been wizards who had found her that night long ago? Would they have known instantly that she had suffered a magical attack? Or would they have done the same the others had done and called the – what was the word again? Oh, yes – Muggle authorities.

She could not help but try to see everything at once. The shops had been a wonder, the bookshop being her favorite; so many unknown items on sale, so many people shopping around them. But she had enjoyed herself as they walked by each shop looking at the displays. The twins' store was the most colorful of them all. It was the only shop that was painted brightly. It was more eye-catching that way, George had said. It was also the only one where there were more children present than adults. Even Quality Quidditch Supplies, which was the other popular store in Diagon Alley, did not boast so many young customers. But, Hermione thought, it was because of the many items displayed and the low cost of many of these that made the twins' shop more popular with children.

The sun was setting by the time Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny made their way back to Hermione's house. They took the Knight Bus back (an experience that Hermione was only too happy to leave behind) to the Granger's house.

"Oh, thank you." Hermione exclaimed once they had arrived home. "I truly enjoyed going to Diagon Alley."

"It is a good place to shop." Ginny smiled at the happiness clearly shining from her friend's face.

"We'll go again whenever you like." Harry said.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure that I could do more shopping, especially with the holidays coming up." Replied Hermione happily.

"We'll plan a trip then." Ron said. "I'm sure we all could do some more shopping as well."

Hermione smiled brightly his way. Ron soaked the sunny smile with satisfaction. It had been too long since the last time Hermione had smiled at him that way, and he could not help but feel a ray of hope at the sight of it.

"Well, we have to go. I'm sure mum and dad want to know what we did." Said Ginny with a sigh.

"I'll accompany you." Harry added. "I'll see you again Hermione." He said with a quick kiss to Hermione's cheek.

"Bye Hermione, I'll come and visit when I can." Ginny said kissing her friend's cheek goodbye before waving to her brother. "See you later, bro."

"See you. Don't forget about Monday, Harry." Ron said as his best friend and sister walked down the driveway.

"I won't." Harry yelled before turning to the alley nearby.

"Why are they going into the alley?" Hermione asked after the door was closed.

"They're apparating home." Ron explained.

* * *

Ron spent the better part of the night thinking about their trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione's expression when she first caught sight of the shopping strip was clearly engraved upon his mind.

It had been a good day, he thought. A good day indeed.

* * *

A/N: There you go. Happy reading! 


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: I know, you're surprised to see me back so soon, aren't you? I just want to finish editing the chapters that had already been written before, I want to start reading back and make the changes I want to do. I still don't know if I'll finish this story first before editing the whole story so it can be a true Post DH version. I'll see what happens. Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.

* * *

_**Chapter 17 A Journey Through the Memories**_

Hermione enjoyed the rest of the weekend. Her parents had returned from their clinic a few minutes after she and Ron had returned from their own trip.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger happily listened as their daughter told them about her visit to Diagon Alley. Her excitement was contagious and the others were only too happy to share their own experiences at the Magical shopping center.

The morning of the next day was spent in the attic, where, Hermione had found out, her parents had stored all of her magical items before her return.

Hermione sat among boxes full of books, pictures, and journals; all full of attached notes and scribbles in her own hand.

She didn't know where to start.

"Maybe you should start with this one." She heard Ron's voice behind her.

She turned quickly toward him. "I didn't know you were here." She said.

"Your mother told me you were up here, so I thought you might need some help." He said with a shrug as he peered into an open box, from where he had extracted the book he was holding toward her.

"Why should I start with this one?" Hermione asked finally taking the book from his hand.

"It's our History of Magic textbook." Ron said. "You might want to have a quick read through it. I know you did before we started school our first year."

Hermione had already opened the book and had started reading. Ron glimpsed her way and smiled at the familiar sight.

After a couple of hours, Hermione had a small pile of books that she wanted to read first before going through the rest of her collection, including _Hogwarts a History_. Ron had groaned at the sight of it, but did not explain when Hermione had turned a questioning glance his way.

Most of the books in the boxes were books she acquired during her years at Hogwarts, textbooks and others she had bought for further reading. The ones she had bought after Hogwarts were currently residing in a bookshelf in Ron's apartment, a fact that Ron had not told Hermione yet.

Ron helped Hermione take her chosen books to her room, where Hermione settled for the rest of the day to read.

Ron joined Mr. and Mrs. Granger in the parlor after it was clear that Hermione was not going to budge from her armchair, where she had settled with an open book on her lap.

"Is Hermione still in the attic?" Mr. Granger asked as he watched Ron come into the parlor.

"No. She's in her bedroom reading." Said Ron taking a seat in one of the armchairs.

Mr. Granger chuckled. "Should've guessed."

"I'm guessing we're not going to see her for the rest of the afternoon." Said Mrs. Granger with a smile.

"We can be sure of that." Said Ron.

Neither said it out loud but all were thinking the same, it was such a Hermione thing to do that for a moment they could all pretend that she was the same Hermione she had once been.

* * *

Monday morning started bright and shining. Everybody in the Granger household was up early, took an early breakfast, and on their way to London by nine that morning.

"We have the appointment at ten." Mr. Granger said. "Do you think Harry will be on time to join us?"

"He'll not forget." Ron said as they drove through the city streets toward the Muggle visitor's entrance of St. Mungo's. He knew that Harry wanted Hermione to get her memories back, and if it meant taking part of a few therapy sessions, he would be there.

* * *

Harry was sitting in the waiting room waiting for the Grangers. He was not too eager to be there, therapy only brought his demons to the fore. He had to go through his own therapy sessions during the months after the final battle of the war. Kingsley was not going to sign him into the Academy unless he finished six months of therapy. Ron had waited to begin his own training until Harry was ready. Something that had made Harry feel guilty about at the time, and the only thing that made him go through the therapy sessions.

Now he was back, and not on his own accord, but to help a friend. For his friends, he would do anything, thought Harry. Ron and Hermione had stood by him for the past decade, and had helped him through the most difficult days of his life.

He was lost on his own thoughts that he didn't hear the door open. He was startled out of his dark memories when a small hand touched his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Asked Ginny looking down at him worriedly.

"Hi, Ginny. I'm fine." He said with a wry smile. Other than Ron and Hermione, Ginny was the other person who understood his moods.

"You didn't hear me when I came in." She observed, taking the seat next to his.

"I was just thinking." Harry explained.

"I guessed that." Ginny said. "And not good thoughts either."

Harry sighed. Ginny was right, they had not been good thoughts. But he said nothing, there was no need for him to confirm her observations.

"When did you arrive?" Ginny asked, thinking it was better to change the subject if she didn't want Harry to fall into one of his moods again.

"Half an hour ago." Harry replied.

"Why too early?" Ginny asked. "The Grangers are not going to be here until ten."

Harry looked at his watch, 9:45. He shrugged. "Are you staying too?"

"No, just wanted to be here when they arrived." Sighed Ginny. "I think you were called in because you and Ron were with her at her first year at Hogwarts. I'm guessing that's going to be the subject of today's session."

First year, thought Harry, Flamel's stone. Harry chuckled. At the time it had seen like a big dangerous adventure, but who would have guessed that it would be the least dangerous of his career. It had been the beginning of a difficult time, but he hadn't known that then. He had only thought that for the first time in his life, he had friends and people who cared about him. He had left the Dursleys behind for the first time in memory, and he was happy, even after all the dangers of rescuing the stone from Voldemort's hands.

* * *

Ron was not surprised to see Harry and Ginny waiting for them when they arrived.

"Good morning." They greeted as Ron and the Grangers entered the doctor's sitting room.

"Good morning, dears. You're up early." Mrs. Granger said with a smile.

"What are you doing here, Ginny? You're not supposed to come in to the session." Ron said as he sat next to his best friend and partner.

"I just came to wish Hermione luck." She snapped at her brother before turning to Hermione with a smile. "How was the rest of your weekend?"

"Good. I looked through my school trunk and found loads of books there. They were quite insightful." Hermione said.

Ron turned an exasperated look to Harry. "She spent the whole day reading."

"Good news that." Harry chuckled.

"That's what we thought." Whispered Mr. Granger who had chosen the chair next to Ron.

The doctor's door opened and a nurse came out. "The doctor is ready to see you." She said.

"Well, I think that's my cue to leave." Said Ginny. "Good luck." She said to Hermione and left.

The group trooped into the doctor's office and sat on the chairs before the desk. The doctor sat behind it, finishing writing some notes.

"Well, how are all today?" She asked finally looking up to her patient and friends.

"Good." They all said.

"Ron and Harry are very eager to be of help." Said Mrs. Granger smiling to the young men sitting beside her daughter.

"I'm glad to meet you both." The doctor said, looking a little longer toward Harry, making the usual glance at his forehead.

"Glad to be here." Replied Ron, Harry nodded his agreement.

"Now, Hermione anything new to report?" The doctor said turning to look at Hermione.

Hermione launched in a detailed narrative of their visit to Diagon Alley and the information she gathered from the books she had read.

"That's a start." Said the doctor making notes. "What about your dreams, anything there?"

Hermione shook her head. "Just the usual."

"I see." The doctor said taking further notes. "There is something I want to try." The doctor said after she finished writing. She stepped from behind the desk and walked to a closet at one corner of the room. She extracted a round basin with carved runes around it and a shimmering liquid inside.

Harry looked at the object with suspicion while the others looked curious.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Asked Harry feeling a little apprehensive at the familiar object.

"What is it?" Asked Hermione.

"A pensive." Replied Harry before the doctor could do so.

"Oh, so that's what it looks like." Exclaimed Ron. He had heard Harry talk about his past experiences with Dumbledore's pensive and understood his apprehension, but that didn't wane his curiosity at seeing one for the first time in his life.

"What is it for?" Asked Mr. Granger curiously. It was the first time that he and his wife had felt involved in their daughter magical world, and they were only too happy to learn more of it.

The doctor looked at Harry before she responded to the question. "A pensive is used to store memories." She simply said. "We can then go back into the memory and see it in a more objective view in order to see things more clearly."

"How are we going to use it now?" Asked Harry, still looking at the pensive warily.

"Hermione has reported a series of dreams I'm sure are memories of her time at Hogwarts. I thought we could put the memories of those dreams into this pensive and take a look at them, then you could tell us if they are indeed memories or just dreams." The doctor said.

"If they are memories?" Asked Mr. Granger.

"Then we can discuss them and clarify them." She looked at Ron and Harry. "I'm sure that you can tell us a little background if they are."

"And if they are dreams?" Asked Ron.

"Then we'll leave it at that." Shrugged the doctor.

She looked around the group, they all seemed a little curious and wary about the procedure, but she was sure it was the best way to proceed.

"Shall we give it a try?" She asked after a minute.

Hermione looked at her parents hesitantly.

"What do you want to do, my dear?" Asked Mrs. Granger, patting Hermione's hand.

"I'm – I'm not sure?" Hermione said turning to look at the two young men beside her. "Is it safe?" She asked.

Ron looked at Harry to reply, as he was the only one with experience using a pensive.

"It is safe." Harry said with a shrug. "You won't become lost in it, or get hurt in any way." He added carefully. "You're just an observer."

"I say you should try it." Ron said turning to look at Hermione. "There's nothing to lose, and it can help you."

Hermione remained thoughtful before turning to look at the pensive resting before the doctor on the desk.

"What do I have to do?" She asked.

The doctor smiled. "Here, let me show you." She said taking her slim wand out of her drawer.

* * *

The session was exhausting for Hermione. After allowing the doctor to extract the memories of the dreams she had regularly had in the past few weeks, she, Ron and Harry went into the scenes with the doctor (the Grangers couldn't go in because they were Muggles) and watched carefully as each scene evolved before their eyes.

Ron and Harry watched in awe as the events of their first year passed before them in Hermione's point of view. Ron winced in sympathy when he saw himself being hurt during the giant chess game they had to pass through in their quest for the Philosopher's Stone. He heard Harry groan beside him when they saw their first look at Fluffy behind the locked door of Hogwarts' third corridor.

It was like seeing a series of their most dangerous adventures flash before their eyes.

"Why couldn't she have more peaceful dreams?" Said Harry wearily the moment they were back on their seats. "There were moments when we weren't in such danger. I remember long moments in the common room with her urging us to do our homework."

The doctor smiled but Ron could see that she was also worried about the memories they had just seen.

"Am I to assume that all we just saw did happen?" She asked.

"Yes." Replied Ron. "Of course I remember them with a different perspective, but they did happen."

"I see." Said the doctor thoughtfully. "This rather changes things."

"How so?" Asked Mr. Granger who had been rather silent as the session with the pensive had progressed.

"Well, as Harry just commented, only a few selective memories seemed to be coming back." The doctor said. "I know not why this is so, but it seems that we must do things a little different if we want all of her memory to return."

"What do you have in mind?" Asked Hermione who was still shaking in horror at the thought that all those dreams had been memories after all. She didn't like the idea of being in so much danger at so young an age.

"It seems that there are too many horrors in your mind. I had not taken into account that your friendships," she glanced at Harry warily, "had exposed you to more horrors common to ordinary witches. You obviously were part of the past war, which means that more horrors are yet to be unleashed by your lost memories. If we continue the potions the memories will soon come." She explained.

"But isn't that what we want?" Asked Ron.

"Yes, but these memories are too dark and too intense for Hermione to handle them with ease." The doctor explained. "She still does not understand our world, our laws, our history. If we let these memories come, she could easily lose her mind."

Mrs. Granger gasped and Hermione looked at the doctor in horror as the others tensed around her.

"What could we do to avoid that?" Asked Harry.

Ron knew that his friend was feeling guilty at the thought that Hermione was now in danger of losing her mind by the mere fact that she had stood by his side during the most troubling part of his young life.

"The best thing to do now is to take this slowly. Her mind needs to adjust to these memories and digest them, as it were. She needs to become used to our way of life and to the sites appearing on these past memories. I recommend a field trip." The doctor said.

"You mean visiting all the places where these things took place." Said Ron with uncommon insight.

Ron felt Harry tensing at his side. There were some places Harry had avoided like the plague since Voldemort's defeat. There were still times when Harry turned his face away from the door to the Depart of Mysteries at the Ministry when they had to attend a trial or a hearing at a near courtroom.

"It would help. For now, I'm stopping the potion intake." The doctor said making notes in her notebook. "The dreams will stop but the memories will still come at a slower pace."

* * *

Ron sighed in frustration as he finally lay on his own bed in his flat. He had had hope that Hermione's memories would soon return and that they could continue with the life they had planned for themselves. But this new turn changed everything. He didn't want her losing her mind. But he didn't want to lose her at all either and he was afraid that he would lose her if things continued on as they currently were.

He had to do something, and he had to do it soon.

He turned to look at the photographs that were lined up above the mantel. They were photos of the three of them throughout the years. Some were taken at Hogwarts, others in Muggle London. In some Harry was with them, in others it was just Ron and Hermione.

It was one of these photos that gave him an idea.

He smiled with delight. If they were to take a tour through the magical places were those memories were first created, why not start with the beginning?

He chuckled in delight. He couldn't wait to tell Harry of his idea, he was sure his friend would be only too happy to help. And he did need Harry's help. After Voldemort's defeat, nobody could say No to the Boy-Who-Lived.

* * *

A/N: There you go, enjoy! 


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: And here's one more to keep you entertained.

* * *

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain_. _**

* * *

**_

Ron had been right, Harry had only been too happy to help with his plan. In fact, after hearing Ron's plan, Harry took it over and put everything in place for it to be a success.

Ron didn't mind. He was good at making plans and making the necessary strategies to see them come to fruition. But he was not good at enforcing his ideas and talking to the people necessary to make them a success. Harry, on the other hand, was quite good with people and his famous name made it much easier to get things done.

And that's what he needed, someone who could get things done.

It took them a couple of weeks to get everything in readiness, but finally, the day arrived to put the plan into action.

Operation Time Travel was about to begin.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the day Harry and Ron had joined Hermione during her therapy session. Hermione's treatment had undergone some changes, and she was happy to notice that the dreams were few and far between. The potions she had been originally prescribed had been changed to others. The therapy sessions with the doctor were more frequent and they had even tried hypnosis to help her along in some of the sessions. All in all, it was still an unorthodox treatment.

Hermione had not heard from Ron and Harry since their session together, according to Ginny, they seemed to be involved in this secret mission that kept them most occupied. Ginny didn't know what the mission was about, but she was sure it was really important as they seemed to be quite thorough in their planning.

Hermione had started to help out in her parents' clinic. She took calls and set the appointments for each day.

The Grangers were only too happy to have her along with them. Hermione had never shown any interest in following in their footsteps, even as a child when she spent time in the clinic whenever she didn't go to school. She had always buried herself in her books and asked so many questions about everything. They had been sure that she would become a researcher or a teacher. But the Hogwarts' letter had changed that, and gave an option of a new world to learn about.

On this day, Hermione had decided to remain at home. It was a Saturday and things were usually slow on Saturdays at the clinic.

The Christmas holidays were two weeks away, and Hermione wanted to do some shopping before then. Ginny was going to accompany her to Diagon Alley to look around.

The Grangers were sitting around the kitchen table finishing their breakfast when a shark knocking was heard from one of the closed windows.

They all turned to see an owl tapping the window with his beak. An envelope was tied to one of its legs.

"What is it doing?" Asked Hermione in surprise.

"It's an owl." Explained her father. "Wizards send letters by owl."

"Go on, dear." Urged her mother. "Open the window, see who's writing to you."

"Why are you sure that it's for me?" Hermione asked as she neared the window to let the owl in.

"Who else, but a witch would receive an owl?" Laughed her father as the owl flew through the opened window and circle above Hermione before dropping the envelope at her feet and flying right back out.

Hermione bent and picked the envelope gingerly. She looked at it carefully. The envelope was thick and heavy of yellowish parchment with the address written in emerald-green ink. In the back she saw a purple wax sealed with a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

A sense of déjà vu flooded through her mind.

_A young Hermione walked toward the door, the mail had just come and she was waiting for a book she had purchased through a catalog the week before. There was no package, but there were a few letters and she looked through the envelopes as she walked back to the kitchen where her parents were waiting for her to join them for breakfast. She had just turned eleventh and she was about to finish primary school and start getting ready to begin at a prestigious secondary school._

_An unusual envelope grabbed her attention. It was made out of yellowish parchment, thick and heavy. In the back she could see a coat of arms sealing the envelope with purple wax._

Hermione stood by the window looking down at the envelope. It was the first time that particular memory had come to her and she turned to look at her parents with wide-opened eyes.

"What's wrong?" Asked Mrs. Granger with concern. Hermione seemed lost and scared, she was afraid that bad news had made their way back into their lives.

"I – I don't know." Said Hermione returning to the table with the envelope grasped tightly in her hand. "I don't understand."

"Here, let me see this." Said Mr. Granger, taking the letter from Hermione's limp fingers.

He looked at the envelope and with a raised eyebrow looked at his wife.

Mrs. Granger was looking at her husband intently. When her husband smiled and placed the envelope in front of Hermione she sighed with relief. Her husband would not have returned the letter to Hermione if it was going to hurt her in some way.

"Open it. I think you'll understand once you've read it." Mr. Granger said with confidence.

Hermione took the envelope and unsealed it carefully. She slipped two pieces of parchment out. She opened the first one and read it attentively.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL_

_of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_Headmistress: MINERVA MCGONAGALL_

_(Order of Merlin, Third Class)_

_Dear Miss Granger:_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on December 26. We await your owl by no later than December 18._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Filius Flitwick_

_Deputy Headmaster_

The other page was a list of books and materials.

Hermione looked at the pages in wonder. And she turned to look at her parents with tears in her eyes.

"I just remembered getting my first letter." She said softly.

Mrs. Granger gasped excitedly, tears starting to form in her eyes, while Mr. Granger smiled excitedly.

"You will need new robes." Mrs. Granger said getting hold of her emotions and turning her mind to the preparations for the upcoming trip. "You won't need your books, you have them all in the trunks you were looking into a couple of weeks ago."

"Ron has her witch's robes. We'll ask him to bring them over." Said Mr. Granger.

Why does he have my robes, thought Hermione in confusion but her mother started talking before she could say anything and drove the question out of her mind.

"We should see if Ginny knows what is supposed to happen next." Mrs. Granger said excitedly. "Of course, we cannot go with you, Muggles can't see Hogwarts, but we'll take you to the train."

"Train?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, how are you going to get to the castle?" Replied Mrs. Granger.

* * *

Ginny didn't know what was supposed to happen next.

"It is a rather thoughtful plan." Ginny said looking at the letter closely. "I never imagined it of Ron. I rather expect Harry had a hand of it."

"Why do you think so?" Hermione asked looking over the list of materials in her hand.

"Only Harry would've been capable of getting McGonagall to agree to this." Explained Ginny. "I think she's rather proud of having been Harry's Head of House. Something to boast about, I expect. Not that she would ever boast, of course, but there's nobody else that can say the same thing, now can they, that they were The-Boy-Who-Lived's Head of House and Headmistress."

"What is she like?" Said Hermione, putting aside the list that she had been reading for the fifth time that morning.

"Hmmm – Well, she is rather strict, but fair. But I think she had a soft spot for Harry, she certainly looked the other way sometimes when another teacher would've given him detention or taken away points." Ginny whispered to Hermione with a wicked light on her mind. "I think he reminded her of his father. She was our Transfiguration teacher until she took over the Headmistress position."

Hermione listened attentively while Ginny reminisced about their former Transfiguration professor and Headmistress. She couldn't wait to meet her.

* * *

It wasn't until a few days later that Hermione found out what was to come next.

The weekend was upon them once more before Ron was able to go to the Grangers with her witch's robes.

"I brought only the informal ones. I don't think she'll need her work robes for quite a while, and there's no need for the dress robes yet." He said as he extracted a folded, shrunk bag from his pocket. "What do you need these for?"

"Why, for her trip to Hogwarts of course." Said Mrs. Granger as she started shaking the wrinkled robes out of the bag after Ron had returned them to their original size.

"She won't need those." Ron said. "Muggle clothing is fine." He shrugged.

"Ronald Weasley, if Hermione is going to visit her old alma matter, she needs to dress the part." Mrs. Granger replied.

Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione giggled. Mrs. Granger sounded so fierce and more excited about the trip than anybody that nobody wanted to gainsay her.

"We'll only be there, for a couple of days, you know." Ron said.

Mrs. Granger nodded but continued to gather the robes in her arms. "I think these need a good washing and ironing." She said before leaving the young couple on their own.

Ron sighed and flopped down to the nearest armchair.

"Are we really taking the train to get there?" Hermione asked shyly.

"You'll see." Ron grinned and winked.

* * *

Christmas morning had arrived and gone. The Grangers spent a quiet morning eating breakfast in the parlor as they opened their gifts. Hermione had only expected to find gifts from her parents and maybe from Ron, Harry and Ginny. Instead, she found a gift from every Weasley as well as some from people she didn't know well. It pleased her to know that even though she could not remember every person that had ever taken part of her life there were still many people that still remembered her.

The rest of the day was spent visiting friends and family. She was tired by the time they returned home in the evening.

But the best was yet to come, she knew, and she was really looking forward to the next day. She fell asleep with an expectant smile in her face.

* * *

She was awoken very early the next morning.

"Hermione, dear, you're going to be late to catch the train." Her mother's voice intruded through her sleep.

"One more minute." She mumbled as she burrowed deeply into the sheets.

"Come, Hermione. Now." Ordered Mrs. Granger as she continued shaking her daughter.

"All right, all right." Said Hermione sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Eight." Said Mrs. Granger pulling the old truck Mr. Granger had brought down from the attic for her to pack her clothes in. "I'll get breakfast ready while you wash and dress."

"Okay." Hermione said as she slowly pushed the blankets away to leave the bed.

Half an hour later, Hermione entered the kitchen to find her parents sitting at the table waiting for her.

"We still have time to get to the station." Said Mr. Granger as Hermione started to serve herself. "Ron said to be there no later than ten."

"But isn't it a little too early?" Asked Hermione eating her food slowly, she was still a little sleepy and was sure that she would fall asleep as soon as the train started rolling. "Isn't the train supposed to leave at eleven?"

Mr. and Mrs. Granger shared a significant look at their daughter's observation, since nobody had told her the usual time of the train's departure, but said nothing about it. Instead, Mr. Granger replied. "I expect these are special circumstances and the time was changed.

Hermione nodded and continued with her meal.

* * *

Ron was beginning to get impatient as he and Ginny waited on King Cross' Station by Platforms 9 and 10.

"Will you stop that, we still have a lot of time left." Ginny said as Ron checked his watch for what seemed like the eleventh time since they got to the station, which Ginny was quick to point out, it hadn't been more than ten minutes. "They'll get here."

Ron just shook his head and continued to pace.

"Why are we waiting out here anyways? Shouldn't we cross the barrier and wait for them out there?" Ginny asked.

"You know that the Grangers can't cross the barrier." Snapped Ron. "You go in, if you're so impatient."

Ginny glared at her brother and stomped into the barrier without looking back.

Just as Ginny crossed the barrier, Harry was slowly making his way to the platform through the rushing crowd.

"You know there's a reason why the train leaves to Hogwarts at eleven and not earlier, don't you?" Harry said as he finally found his impatient friend.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked in confusion.

"The rush hour, we're in the middle of the rush hour." Hissed Harry as he looked around at the rushing Muggles walking quickly throughout the station.

Ron still looked confused. "Rush hour?"

Harry rolled his eyes in frustration. "The Muggles are rushing to get to work." He pointed out. "True is the last minutes of the rush hour but there are still a lot of Muggles around."

"Which is why it's the perfect time." Said Ron finally understanding what had his friend all worried. "The Muggles are in a rush because they are late and don't bother to look around to see if anything is amiss."

Harry looked around and saw that his friend was right. The Muggles seemed impatient and testy as they waited to board their respective trains, only a few seemed to be taking their leisure as if they didn't have anywhere else to be, but most of them were busy looking through the paper or looking at the trains schedules.

"You have a point." Harry said. "Who are we waiting for?"

"The Grangers. Ginny's already inside." Ron said pointing to the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.

"I'll join her then." Said Harry looking at the barrier. "The Grangers should be coming soon."

Ron nodded distractedly and continued waiting while Harry crossed the barrier.

Harry had been right, Ron didn't have to wait too long for the Grangers to arrive.

"Sorry it took us long, dear." Mrs. Granger said as soon as she spied Ron among the throng. "We had to park a little farther than we expected."

"That's all right, we still have some time." Said Ron as he greeted Mr. Granger and Hermione. "Ready for this trip?" He asked Hermione.

She nodded. She looked around the station, taking note of the rest of the people running through the station eager to take their respective trains.

"Which train are we taking?" Hermione asked as she looked toward the train schedule hoping to guess which train they would be taking to Hogwarts.

"Oh, we're not taking any of these." Scoffed Ron. "We take a special train, of course."

* * *

While Ron was greeting the Grangers and explaining to Hermione how to cross the barrier to Platform 9 ¾, Harry was meeting Ginny on the other side of the barrier.

"Everything is in order?" Harry asked as he finally found Ginny in one of the empty compartments. It had been rather different for Harry to see the train empty. All of the carriages had been unattached, but one. Only one carriage was attached to the engine, making the Hogwarts Express look less impressive than when he had first caught a glimpse of the train at the beginning of his first year.

"Hello Harry." Said Ginny turning to look at him with a smile. "Did you see Ron outside?"

"Yes, he's still waiting for Hermione and her parents." Harry said as he took a seat next to her.

"He's too impatient for his own good." Ginny said with a wry smile. "It's not going to help their situation."

"Why do you say that?" Asked Harry leaning back on the seat and stretching his feet up onto the seat in front of them.

"Hermione's case needs patience." Ginny explained. "Quite a bit of it. She needs time to heal, to get used to the new world around her. She has only been getting the correct sort of treatment for more than a month now, if we had started the moment she was attacked, she would be well on the road to recovery and Ron wouldn't have to wait too long. As it is, it will still be a long time until their relationship can be a remote likeness to what it had once been. It will never be the same, you know." She said turning to look at him with a sad smile. "I sometimes think that there never will be a wedding."

"We must be positive." Harry said with a heavy sigh. He wanted to be positive, he needed to be so for his friend's sake, but Ginny had just voiced some of his own fears. He sometimes also thought that the once planned wedding would never take place.

* * *

The train was scheduled to leave in a few minutes and Hermione was saying her goodbyes to her parents.

"Just send us an owl when you get there." Her mother was saying as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"I will." Hermione said.

"Let us know if you need anything." Mr. Granger said as he took his turn hugging his only child.

Hermione nodded.

Ron stood beside the group as they said their goodbyes, waiting for Hermione to be ready to cross the barrier.

Finally, Hermione disengaged herself from her parents' embrace and turned to Ron.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded nervously.

"Nothing to be nervous about." He smiled. "We've done this lots of times and nothing bad has happened."

"Never?" She asked.

"Never, well except when Harry and I couldn't get through on our second year. But you never had any trouble." He said as he took her hand and started walking toward the barrier.

Hermione looked at the wall between platforms 9 and 10 apprehensively and pulled Ron to stop.

"Are you sure nothing will happen?" Asked Hermione once more.

"Sure." Said Ron. "Close your eyes if you're scared, I'll get you through."

Hermione looked at him, as if weighing his trustworthiness. She nodded after a second and closed her eyes.

Ron sighed silently, and started pulling her through the barrier.

Hermione felt his hand pulling her gently forward. She walked slowly after him, her eyes closed. Finally, she heard Ron's voice once more.

"You can open your eyes now." He said.

She did. Slowly. And when her eyes were opened fully she looked around in wonder. There was a wall behind her above her head there was a sign with the words Platform 9 ¾ printed in gold. Before her was a huge scarlet engine, and a carriage attached to it. Harry and Ginny's face smiled at her from one of the windows.

"What are you waiting for?" Yelled Ginny above the din of the running engine. "Get on."

She looked at Ron with a smile.

"Let's go." He laughed and pulled her gently toward the carriage.

* * *

The train pulled gently out of the station soon after they were all settled in one of the compartments.

"It feels different." Hermione said looking around.

"Well, usually there are a lot of students riding along and many more carriages attached." Ginny explained.

"They're on holiday now." Ron said. "Which is why we can use it and the castle at the moment."

"We could've waited for the summer, but we thought it was better now than later." Harry said.

Hermione nodded and turned to look out the window. She glimpsed the countryside passing quickly by as the train made its way through the rails toward Hogwarts.

"Is it going to take long?" She asked without looking back at her companions.

"Most of the day." Replied Ron.

Hermione sighed. "Wished we were there now."

* * *

Hermione didn't feel most of the trip, mostly because she fell asleep after the train left the city behind. By the time she awoke, the train was pulling into Hogsmead station.

"We're there." Ron whispered in her ear when he noticed her stirring at his side.

"Are we?" She exclaimed sitting up and looking out the window.

She could see the country side as the train slowed down into the station. She could see that the station was settled in the outskirts of a small town. She could see the thatched cottages of the town behind the station. And it all looked wonderful to her eyes.

"This is Hogsmeade Station." Ron said as he and Harry stood to reach for their luggage.

"The only Magical Town in the country." Said Ginny as she and Hermione waited for the train to stop.

"Is it?" Asked Hermione drinking in the sight of the small town.

"Most small towns have a few magical families living there, but the communities are mostly Muggle, but this is the only town that was established by a magical community, and it's ruled by magical laws." Harry explained as they led the curious Hermione out of the compartment and out of the carriage. Nobody mentioned that those were facts they had learned from Hermione herself while they were still in school.

They stood on the platform for a while, Hermione looked around her with curiosity while the others waited patiently.

"Firs' years this way." A booming voice called all of a sudden.

_Hermione looked toward the voice in surprise. She had known they were waiting for someone but he had not expected what she saw._

_A huge man loomed above their heads. A giant! She thought. Hermione looked up, scared, to the bearded face that only looked more ominous than she had first thought. She gulped with trepidation._

"_Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" He said with a smile that changed his whole face as he looked at the small dark haired boy she had met on the train. "C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"(1)_

"All right there, 'Ermione?" He asked, looking a little worried. "You feeling right?"

"Yes." Mumbled Hermione and nodded slowly, somewhat shyly.

"The carriages are waitin'." Said Hagrid with a smile to the others. "McGonagall is right happy, she is." He said as he led them toward the waiting carriages. "Not many students stayed for the holidays this year."

Hermione looked in awe at the dark almost skeletal horses waiting patiently with the carriages. She looked at them with some trepidation, and didn't think she would like much to ride one. "What are those?" She asked Ron, who had remained by her side as they all followed the giant out of the station.

Ron looked toward the carriages and saw the horses that had claimed her attention. "Thestrlas." He said. "They pull the Hogwarts' carriages."

"They don't look too cheerful." She mumbled but said nothing more as the four of them climbed into a carriage and left the giant to follow them in another.

Ron had not been surprised that Hermione had asked about the Thestrlas. Many of those that had been Fifth Years that had not seen them when Hagrid had introduced them to the class were able to see them by the end of the war. They were not a pretty sight, but then those who were able to see them had not seen a pretty sight either.

"Oh!" Exclaimed Hermione in wonder at his side, Ron turned to look through the window to see what had grabbed her attention. A magnificent view of Hogwarts as they turned down the lane rose before them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Asked Ginny who was seeing the same sight as she sat in front of Hermione on the opposite seat.

"It is." Whispered Hermione. "It is a real castle."

"The only one remaining from the Dark Ages, I expect." Said Harry seating comfortably beside Ginny. He did not look out the window to the familiar sight. "Not that the whole world knows about it."

Hermione drank in the sight of the castle. It was easy to see how it could be a magical school, as it looked magical all by itself. Surely only wizards and witches could live in a place like that.

The carriage trotted along the winded pathway that led from the small town to the castle. Hermione kept her eyes on the window looking out to the snow blanketed grounds of the old magical school.

Soon, they were stopping in front of Hogwarts' front door.

A man was waiting for them at the top of the stairs. He had a gaunt face, a dark scowl glaring at them. His tall frame was covered by an old frayed coat that hung limply from his shoulders. A large cat was sitting by his feet.

"That's Filch." Whispered Ron in Hermione's ear as he helped her out of the carriage.

Hermione looked toward the old man. "He doesn't seem very happy to see us." She observed.

Ron chuckled. "He's never happy to see anybody. He's bitter he is, just because he's a squib."

"A squib?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Somebody of a magical family born without magical abilities." Replied Ron as Harry, Ginny and Hagrid joined them by the stairs.

"You're here then." Growled Mr. Filch. "Come along then, don't have all day." And he turned abruptly and led them through the entrance hall of the castle with his cat running behind him.

"Right old git." Mumbled the giant. "Didn' want me to lead you to McGonagall, wants to do it himself."

"Doesn't matter Hagrid." Said Ginny patting the giant's hand lightly. "We prefer that you accompany us anyway."

Hagrid, the giant, smiled and turned his beetle-black eyes on Hermione. "Yer looking good 'Ermione. It's been a while since I've seen you."

"Er, yes, I expect so." Said Hermione looking at Ron for help. She knew that she was supposed to know this giant of a man, but she could not remember him, really, except for that instant memory she had on the station, but other than that, what could she say to him? Did he know about her circumstances?

"Oh, right. This is Hagrid, Hermione. You'll remember more of him later on I'll expect. He's the Groundskeeper and one of the professors here at Hogwarts." Said Ron. "You remember, Hagrid, that we told you about Hermione's accident."

"Yes. Sorry to hear about it 'Ermione, but ye'll be fine soon." Hagrid said with conviction.

"I hope so." Hermione said.

Mr. Filch had led them to a pair of big doors that opened into a large hall.

"The Great Hall." Said Ron when they pass through the opened doors.

There were four long tables set side by side along the length of the hall, they were all empty except for a few students sitting along one of the tables near the middle. At the very end of the hall was a raised dais where another long table was set, on which adults of all sizes were sitting, except for an older woman who stood waiting for them to reach the table.

"Headmistress, your guests have arrived." Said Mr. Filch.

"Thank you Mr. Filch." The headmistress said with a nod.

After another glare at the newly arrived group, Mr. Filch left the hall to return to his duties.

"Welcome, we have been waiting for you." Said the headmistress with a small smile.

"Professor McGonagall, it's nice to see the old place once more." Said Harry as he walked up to the table to greet his old professor. "And you of course." He quickly added.

"And it's nice to see you all here again." Said Professor McGonagall, looking at her former students with some pride.

She had worried about this group after they had left Hogwarts. Their school years were marked by dangerous adventures that put them on the road to death more often than not. It was by the end of their first year that she knew there were all meant to be part of the upcoming war. They were too young, she had thought. But they had all proved her wrong. Not only had they survived the war, but they were great leaders among those who fought on the final days of that war. Now they were in Hogwarts once more, if only to recall those times they spent here in their youth.

They will all get some good out of this, she thought as she watched the dark-haired young man greeting all his old professors and pulling Hermione along with him to introduce them once more to her. She had been worried along with everybody else when she found out about the attack on Miss Granger, and had cheered with happiness when she had been found. Now, she was eager to do her part to help on her recovery.

She turned her eyes once more to Harry. She had been most proud of him. Ever since he had proved himself strong to do battle with Voldemort himself in his first year. She had worried about him, but she had also seen him grow stronger and powerful as the years passed by. And she had been so proud of him. She knew his parents would have been so as well.

The teachers were all happy to see their former students once more. Usually they didn't get to see their former students until the next generation of Hogwarts students came along.

"I hope having us here is no trouble." Ginny said to her former professor and Headmistress.

"No, no trouble. We do not have a lot of students staying behind this year." Professor McGonagall replied easily.

"We will leave before the others return from holiday." Said Harry as he joined them. "We just thought it would be good for Hermione to be here for a few days."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Madam Pomfrey thought so as well." She said. "In fact, she wants to see you all before you are taken to your rooms."

Harry grimaced but Ginny nodded her agreement. "It would be good to have somebody to be ready to help if it's needed."

"Where are we going to be staying?" Ron said finally joining them with Hermione in tow.

"I thought Gryffindor Tower would be good." Professor McGonagall said. "There are no Gryffindor students staying this year. You'll have the Tower to yourselves."

"It'll be great to see the Tower once more." Said Ron.

"Oh, yes." Exclaimed Ginny. "I hope it hasn't changed."

Professor McGonagall smiled at seeing their excitement.

"But first, you have to go to the hospital wing." Said Professor McGonagall. "I'm sure you know your way."

Harry snorted. "I should at any rate. Come on." He said to the others. "We'll see you later Professor."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I'll wait for you in my office after dinner."

Harry nodded and led his friends out of the Great Hall.

"Are you going to ask him?" Professor Flitwick asked as she took her seat once more.

"I will." She said thoughtfully.

"What do you think he'll say?" The tiny professor asked before turning back to his meal.

"I don't know, but we'll see." The Headmistress replied.

* * *

"Why are we going to the hospital wing?" Asked Ron as the group left the Great Hall.

"Madam Pomfrey wants to look take a look." Harry replied.

"Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked distractedly as she looked around her as they passed the many portraits and corridors toward the hospital wing.

"The school nurse." Ron explained. "But why does she want to take a look?" He asked Harry.

"I assume she just wants to know how things are coming along and be ready if anything happens." Ginny replied.

"I suppose." Ron said. He, like Harry, didn't have many good memories of the hospital wing. They spent a lot of time in the hospital wing, usually at the end of the school year, although most of the time it was to visit Harry after one of their adventures. But a few times, he himself spent some time in the hospital wing recuperating.

It didn't take them long to make their way to the hospital wing. Many of the school ghosts and portraits along the way stopped them to welcome them back to the school. Hermione stayed silent most of the way, taking it all in.

It is a big place, she thought, how will I find my way if I get lost. She remained closed to the others.

"Well, it's about time you got here." The old nurse said as soon as they walked into the hospital wing. "I told the Headmistress that you should come here as soon as you arrived."

"And we did." Said Harry smiling. "We had just enough time to say hello to Professor McGonagall and the rest before coming here. You didn't want us to be rude, did you?" He smiled at the old nurse.

Madam Pomfrey turned her nose up and turned to Hermione instead. "Well Miss Granger, I must say you look better than I was expecting. Get on the bed please." She ordered and walked toward a table were a set of potions bottles and her wand stood ready.

Hermione looked at the others questioningly. Harry and Ron shrugged, but Ginny smiled and nodded toward the bed.

"She won't bite." Ginny whispered to Hermione.

"As far as we know." Ron murmured.

"Well, come on, what are you waiting for?" Asked Madam Pomfrey as she stood by one of the empty beds.

Hermione walked toward the bed and gingerly sat on it as the old nurse took her wand and started pointing it at her.

After a series of spells, Hermione sat dazed and confused on the bed.

"Well, at least they know what they're doing." Said Madam Pomfrey grudgingly. "Here, St. Mungo's sent this for you." She said picking one of the potion bottles. "You are to take it once a day, young lady, so you better come in just before dinner everyday so I can administer it."

"We can take it with us and make sure she takes it." Said Ron.

"Humph, and let you all forget about it, no doubt." Madam Pomfrey replied. "No, I prefer to administer it myself to make sure it's being taken. Here, Miss Granger, drink this." The old nurse poured a dose of the potion in a glass and passed it to Hermione.

Hermione recognized the potion as it was the same she had been given at St. Mungo's since she started treatment, and took it without trepidation.

"You can go along now." Said Madam Promfrey as soon as Hermione had finished her potion.

"Thank you." Said Hermione and followed the others as they hurried out of the hospital wing.

"And don't forget to come back everyday before dinner." Madam Pomfrey yelled after them.

* * *

They had walked across the castle once more, crossing many corridors and walking up many stairs.

"Remember to look out for the staircases." Harry had said to Hermione. "They like to change direction."

"Not to mention the vanishing steps, you don't want to get caught in one of them." Ron had added.

Hermione listened carefully. She could not believe that she had attended this school and then forget everything about it. This is a magical school, she thought, how can anybody forget about this school.

They finally stepped into a corridor, at the very end hung a portrait of a very fat lady with a pink dress. The group walked up to it.

"Well, I never imagined to see you lot here again so soon. I thought I would not see you until one of your children came to school." The Fat Lady said as she eyed the group standing before her.

"We just couldn't keep away." Ron said with a smile.

The Fat Lady preened with pleasure while one of the ladies on a nearby portrait giggled.

"I assume you have the password?" The Fat Lady finally asked.

"Chocolate delight." Harry replied.

The Fat Lady smiled and the portrait opened up.

They trooped inside, Hermione stepping gingerly into the portrait hole, and turned to look the room with some awe.

"Oh, it still looks like it always did." Exclaimed Ginny.

"I don't think it has ever changed." Said Ron spying a tray with some food by one of the couches by the fire. "And the service is still as friendly." He smiled and walked promptly toward the tray.

"I am famished." Said Harry following Ron to the couch.

"Aren't you going to freshen up a bit first?" Asked Ginny.

"We can do that later." Ron replied as he chose from the food platter.

"What do you want to do, Hermione?" Ginny asked turning to her friend. "Do you want to stay and eat something or do you want to go up and freshen up."

"I think I want to freshen up first." Said Hermione.

Ginny nodded with agreement. "Yes, so do I."

"I can ask the house-elves to take something up to your room if you prefer." Harry offered. "You can rest a bit."

"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you Harry. We'll see you later then." Ginny said. "Come Hermione, let's look for our room."

The young women walked up a set of stairs toward the girls' dormitories.

Ron watched them leave, eating silently one of the beef sandwiches on his hand.

"Do you think this trip will help?" Asked Ron to his best friend after the girls were gone.

"I think so." Harry replied. "Hogwarts is full of magic. Some of it is bound to be of some help."

"I hope so." Ron said with a sigh and turned back to look at his plate. "I don't think I can remain confidant if it continues for much longer."

"Don't worry, it will help." Harry said again.

* * *

A/N: (1) Was an excerpt inspired by HP and the Sorcerer's Stone (although I think all you know that by now).

Everytime there is a moment inspired by any of the books, I will number it and make a footnote of what book it is from in the A/N section, you will see many of these in the next chapters or so, once Hermione's memories start becoming more focused. Enjoy!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Here you go one more chapter. I'm nearing the end of the prepared chapters I had, so it might be a while for me to post another chapter since I have to complete the next chapters before editing them for uploading. I'll try not to take too long, but I cannot guarantee anything since sometimes other things seem to get in the way; all I can say is that I will try to have them ready as soon as I can possibly can.

* * *

_Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.__**

* * *

**_

Hermione followed Ginny up the staircase. There were several doors opening from the landings, she could clearly read to what group the dormitory belonged to as the doors were clearly labeled.

"I'm guessing Professor McGonagall gave us the Head's Dorm." Ginny said as she led to the topmost dormitory in the girls' dormitories. "It looks like this year's Head Girl is not from Gryffindor."

Ginny was right, the Head Girl's dorm had been set aside for their use during their visit. There were two beds on the room, instead of only one.

"Never thought I would ever sleep in this room." Said Ginny as she placed her trunk at the end of the bed.

"You were not a Head Girl?" Asked Hermione as she followed suit and placed her trunk by her own bed.

"No, I don't think they thought I had the notes to be a good Head Girl." Ginny said. "Not that I minded much."

"You weren't disappointed at all?" Asked Hermione curiously, if she had been in that position, she thought, she would have been bitterly disappointed.

"Not really. But then, in those days, we were more concerned about other things than who had made it to Head Boy and Girl. I was just happy that we were all alive." Ginny said, her mind was clearly thinking of those times when she spoke.

Hermione looked at Ginny questioningly. This was the first time she had heard about being in danger, and she was curious.

"Why do you say that? Were we in danger of dying?" Asked Hermione when Ginny didn't say anything more and seemed to be getting lost in her own thoughts.

Ginny sighed deeply and turned to look at Hermione with concern. "I don't know if I should tell you or let you discover it on your own."

"Would it be a shock if I remember it on my own?" Hermione asked.

Ginny seemed to think about it for a minute. "I suppose I can give you the basic history so that you are somewhat prepared if you hear about it or remember something." She finally said. "Come Hermione, I think we have better sit down." Ginny sat on the bed and patted the seat next to her.

Hermione gingerly sat on the bed. Maybe she shouldn't have asked, she thought.

"For you to understand completely what I'm about to tell you I have to go back a couple of decades. More than twenty-five years ago, there was this wizard, Lord Voldemort, obsessed with power and the purity of magical blood. He believed that the Magical World belonged to pure blood wizards, wizards born out of magical families, and he started attacking and killing those who were not of magical families, Muggleborns and Muggles, and those who opposed him. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone in his beliefs, there were many in the pure blooded families who believed the same and united with him. Many fought against him and these followers, the Ministry was on constant alert, nobody knew whom to trust. There was only one man that this wizard feared, and that was Professor Dumbledore, our former Headmaster. He in turn formed a secret group, the Order of the Phoenix, they fought Lord Voldemort and his followers. Some time before Harry was born, Dumbledore heard a prophecy that said a child was about to be born that would defeat Voldemort, unfortunately he was overheard by one of Voldemort's followers. Harry's parents were in danger and Lord Voldemort was about to target them for he believed that Harry was the child of the Prophecy. Dumbledore told the Potters to go into hiding, they did so right after Harry was born. But it was not enough to keep them safe. Long story short, they were betrayed by somebody whom they thought was their friend. Lord Voldemort arrived at the Potters' home on Halloween night when Harry was only one year old. He killed both his parents and then tried to kill Harry."

Hermione gasped with horror. But she had no time to think of any question as Ginny continued.

"Now, you have to promise that what I'm about to tell you, you will not discuss with Harry. He's a little reticent when it comes to his part in Voldermort's rise and fall of power, and he will not be happy that I'm telling you all this." Ginny quickly added.

"I promise." Hermione whispered.

Ginny nodded and continued with her story. "Voldemort couldn't kill Harry, somehow, his mother's sacrifice created a sort of protection that made Voldemort's spell rebound on him. Voldemort was ripped from his body and went into hiding, Harry survived only with a scar on his forehead." Ginny sighed once more. This was old history, everybody in the magical world knew about it after all. But she still hesitated to tell about it. "Harry became famous that night. The-Boy-Who-Lived, they called him, and he was sent to live with his Muggle relations to be kept away from the magical spotlight. At age eleven he received his letter and came to Hogwarts, but Voldemort followed him here. He was still weak and he couldn't do much to regain control of his powers and Harry fought him once more and sent him into hiding again. Almost every year at school, Harry had to face him one way or another." Ginny turned to look at Hermione. "You and Ron were at his side through it all."

Hermione's head reeled at the idea that at such a young age she helped another face a wizard who was clearly feared by all.

"At the end of your fourth year, Voldemort regained his body, but it wasn't until a year later that it was widely accepted and a war had begun. It lasted for a couple of years. Harry finally was able to defeat them near the end of what was to be your seventh year. You see, that's why Harry is famous in the Magical World, not only did he survive Voldemort's attack when he was only one year old, but he also defeated him after becoming of age. He doesn't like this notoriety of course. He avoids all public magical areas whenever possible. He has become more Muggle than any Muggleborn."

Hermione remained seated on the bed beside Ginny as they fell silent. She had known that there was a history behind Harry's cold façade, but she never thought that it would be this dark.

"Not many survived the war." Ginny whispered after a minute of silence. "We ourselves did not survive unscathed. We lost many good friends and family members. That's why I wasn't really concerned about the Head Girl position on my final year at Hogwarts. I was just glad that I had returned alive."

* * *

Hermione didn't sleep well that night. Her dreams were full of dark images, whether they were memories triggered by Ginny's account or nightmares born out of it, she didn't know. All she did know was that she was tired and had a headache coming on by the time she sat on the common room waiting for the others to join her before going down for breakfast.

She was hungry, after Ginny's account the previous night, a tray of food had appeared in their room, but she barely touched anything on her plate. Her mind reeled at the thought of being in danger at such a young age. How did it all happened, she wondered.

It wasn't long until she was joined by Ginny.

"Ah, being here sure brings back many memories." Ginny said as she sat next to Hermione.

"Does it?" Hermione asked looking around the room. It sure looked familiar, she thought, but she still didn't remember anything of consequence.

"Hmmm, it sure does." Ginny sighed. "How do you find the place?" She asked turning to Hermione full of curiosity.

"It's great." Hermione exclaimed. "I can't wait to see more of the place."

Ginny nodded. "We'll take you around for a look."

"What are we doing?" Asked Ron as he and Harry finally stepped off the boys' dormitories to join them.

"We're going to take her around for a look." Repeated Ginny.

"Of course." Said Harry. "But first, let's have some breakfast."

The group trooped out of the common room and went down the familiar corridors toward the Great Hall.

"What did McGonagall want last night?" Asked Ron to Harry as they walked toward the Hall.

"Just wanted to make sure we were settled and had everything we needed." Harry said with a shrug.

"You sure took your time with her. I didn't feel you come back to the room." Ron observed as they neared the entrance hall.

"You never feel anything when you are asleep." Said Ginny, as she and Hermione had overheard their conversation.

"Not always." Said Ron.

The Great Hall was relatively empty, only the professors were sitting in their customary seats and few of the remaining students were sitting at their tables.

The Gryffindor Table was completely empty.

The group decided to seat at the Gryffindor Table instead of joining the professors at the Staff Table.

Platter full of food appeared before them the moment they sat.

"You never starve when you are at Hogwarts." Said Ron as he promptly began to fill his plate.

"With boys like you, I'm glad there's always enough food for everybody." Said Ginny as she gingerly selected her breakfast from the platters before her.

Ron made a face to his sister but promptly turned his attention to his food.

"Hogwarts sure brings out the children in some people." Whispered Harry to Hermione before turning his attention to his plate.

Hermione smiled and continued selecting her food.

They slowly made their plans as they ate.

"We should go to the greenhouses. They are warm at this time of year." Ron said.

"Who wants to be out on a day like this?" Asked Ginny as she pointed to the ceiling, where they could easily glimpse the snow falling heavily over the castle.

"So? Hagrid's Hut is out too." Said Harry watching the snow fall over the ceiling.

"Anything outdoors is out." Ginny said. "Unless you want to get your clothing damp and catch a cold. There's plenty we can do inside."

"Like what?" Asked Ron looking like he wasn't looking forward to his sister's plans.

"Like showing Hermione around the castle. That's why we're here, aren't we?" Ginny replied. "We can go to the kitchens, or to the Room of Requirement."

"Let's take it slowly, shall we." Said Harry. "Let's begin with the library, and the classrooms. We spent so much time there she might find them familiar, then we can make our way to other places."

"Sounds like a plan." Said Ron.

"I would like to see the library." Said Hermione who had sat in silence as the others planned their tour.

Ginny chuckled. "We should've guessed you'd like to see it first."

The others smiled but agreed to Harry's plan.

As soon as the meal was done and they had said their greetings to the professors before telling them their plans, they made their way out of the Great Hall to begin their tour.

As Hermione had asked, they first went to the library where they reintroduced Hermione to Madam Pince, the stern Hogwarts Librarian. Ginny, Ron and Harry sat around one of the tables while Madam Pince gave Hermione a personal tour around the library, including the Restricted Section.

After the library, they went to look for the classrooms. They found Professor Flitwick in the Charms classroom doing lesson plans. Hermione spent an hour taking a crash course on Charms with a happy Professor Flitwick while the others looked around the room with boredom and dreading the moment when Flitwick would ask for their help to make a demonstration for Hermione.

From the Charms classroom they went to Transfiguration classroom. Professor Littop, the Professor to take over the Transfiguration Class after Professor McGonagall became Headmistress, was not present, thus, they spent a few minutes looking around the room.

They made their way through the rest of the classrooms, finding some of the professors along the way. Hermione was only too happy to spend some time speaking to the professors and learn about magical theory.

Harry, Ron and Ginny stood back and watched her. They could see that these chatting sessions with their former professors were doing some good, as there were times when the knowledge of the old Hermione raised to the surface and everybody listening was glad to see it.

The last place they visited was the dungeons. The potions classroom was empty, but a few cauldrons were left to simmer in some of the burners.

_A tall man stood before them, his sallow face and long greasy-looking hair stood before the class. Everybody sat on silence, watching warily as he looked them over with his black, cold and empty eyes._

"_You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." He said. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses…I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." (1)_

Hermione blinked her eyes in surprise. She was back in the empty classroom, Ron, Harry and Ginny were walking among the simmering cauldrons peering into the bubbling concoctions within.

"I wonder what he's making." Said Ginny as she peered into one of the cauldrons.

Ron shrugged as he turned to Hermione. "Are you all right, Hermione." He asked as he noticed that she had not moved from where she had been standing when they first came in to the classroom.

"Yes." Said Hermione rather breathless. "Yes, I'm alright."

"Are you sure? You seem a little pale." Said Ginny who had turned to look at Hermione when Ron had first spoken.

"I'm alright." Hermione said taking a deep sigh. "It was just a – a – " She couldn't finish, Harry and Ron were suddenly at her side.

"Here, take a seat." Harry said pulling one of the chairs from the nearest table.

"Maybe we should go back to the Tower, you must be tired with all the walking." Said Ron.

Ginny nodded. "You might be right. We can continue with our tour later."

"No, I'm alright. Really, I am." Said Hermione. "I was just remembering something." She whispered.

"You were?" Asked Ron with surprise. "What did you remember?"

Hermione smiled. "Our old Potions Professor." She said.

"Old Slug? Well, he's not a very remarkable teacher, but I suppose that's a start." Said Harry.

"Was he the tall one, rather pale, long nose – " Started Hermione.

"With greasy hair? You were remembering Snape!" Exclaimed Ron.

"Ugh, he's the one most of us would want to forget." Ginny said.

Harry didn't say anything, but Hermione noticed his sudden dark expression and cold eyes. "Indeed." He finally said.

"Was that his name, Snape?" Asked Hermione.

"Hm, Severus Snape. He was the old Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House." Said Ron. "But he was gone at the end of our Sixth Year."

"What a funny thing to remember, don't you think?" Ginny said with a laugh.

"I think we should've expected it." Said Harry looking around the room. "The atmosphere of this room certainly makes you think of Snape."

"I gather we were not fond of him." Observed Hermione from the way the other spoke of this particular professor, especially after glimpsing that dark look on Harry's face.

"Nobody in school was fond of Snape." Said Ginny.

"Except for the Slytherins, of course." Said Harry.

"That was because he favored them in class." Snorted Ron with derision. "He was a slimy old git."

"Ron, really!" Chided Ginny.

"Well, he was." Said Ron.

"Let's return to Gryffindor Tower. I'm sure Hermione could do with some rest and dinner should be served any time soon." Said Harry.

"Yes, I expect you're right. We can continue later." Nodded Ginny. "Come, Hermione. We can do with some rest."

Hermione nodded and followed the group out of the room. But she couldn't help thinking that the only reason Harry cut short their visit to the dungeons was because he didn't want to talk about their old Potions Master, and she wondered why that was.

* * *

Hermione lay on her bed in the dark room she was sharing with Ginny. Dinner had been rather silent as each seemed to be lost in their own memories. Except Hermione herself. She was most curious about the reactions she got from the others when she told them about her memory, but Harry's was the most curious of all.

Why had he looked so serious? Hermione wondered about what the rest of her memories would tell her. Would all the gaps still in her memory finally be filled?

She was happy every time a memory made it to the surface of her mind. She didn't know if it was the potion she was taking, the therapy, or the little trips with her friends. Or it could be a combination of it all, she thought.

But how soon would it be until she knew for certain it was working?

* * *

The next day was not as eventful as the first. Hermione didn't remember anything new during the night, but the place looked more familiar every minute.

She found herself knowing the way to different rooms around the castle. Rooms her friends had not taken her to yet. She was quite surprised when she found herself in front of a bathroom on the second floor. She was alone, Ginny had gone to the Hospital Wing to discuss her Healer studies with Madam Pomfrey, Harry had gone for a meeting with Professor McGonagall, and Ron had gone to write an owl to his superior. They had left Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room resting, but she had gotten an urge to wander around the castle, and then, she found herself standing by herself by a door with an OUT OF ORDER sign on it.

She didn't know what to expect, but she opened the door.

* * *

Ron was worried. They had left Hermione alone in the common room, thinking it would be only for a few minutes, it had taken longer than they thought. Now, she was gone.

"But where could she have gone?" He asked for what seemed like the tenth time. "It's not like she has seen every single room in this place."

"Relax Ron." Said Harry. "Maybe this is a good thing."

"A good thing, how can you say this could be a good thing?" Exclaimed Ron.

"Think about it." Harry said gently, trying to keep his friend from losing his mind with worry. "Maybe she needs to be on her own for a while. All she has seen so far, she has seen it with us, maybe if she wanders on her own, it would trigger memories that being with us cannot."

"Like what?" Asked Ron still worried.

"I don't know. Maybe she knew how to go to places we don't." Harry shrugged. It wasn't that he was not worried about Hermione, he was, but he wanted to be more optimistic about this. She was within the castle, of that they could be sure, and the castle was once more the safest place in Britain. She would not come to harm, as long as she remained within the castle.

The portrait hole opened and both men turned to look expectantly to see who entered.

Ginny climbed gingerly through the hole.

"Sorry it took so long, we started talking about the latest potion available for healing and we forgot the time." Said Ginny as she joined Harry on one of the couches by the fire. She noticed Ron was pacing. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Hermione is missing." Ron said coldly.

"What? What do you mean she's missing?" Ginny exclaimed leaving her seat to join her brother.

"She went for a walk." Said Harry in a more soothing tone. "She was gone when we returned."

"Oh." Ginny sighed. "Honestly Ron, you scared me." She glared at her brother before taking her seat once more.

"Why are you two taking this so lightly?" Ron exclaimed exasperated by his companions attitude about Hermione's wandering.

"Because this is good for her." Harry repeated slowly, as if talking to a small child.

"Harry is right." Ginny said. "We all spent several years here, and we brought her here to get her reacquainted with the place. While she's wandering around the castle some things might trigger further memories. You saw what happened in the dungeon; that was a real good sign."

"Do you think all this is working then?" Asked Ron distracted from his worry for a moment.

"I say it's working very well." Ginny smiled. "It's taking time, of course, but we knew that from the beginning. As long as we continue as we have done, she'll get better."

* * *

The bathroom was gloomy and depressing. Above a row of chipped sinks was a large cracked mirror, the light was dim and the floor a little damp. Some of the stall doors were barely hanging by the hinges. It was not a place to step into lightly.

She heard a light sobbing sound at the end stall. She walked gingerly toward it.

"Hello?" She said as she got close to the open stall.

"What do you want?" A belligerent voice said. "Can't I get any peace, even in death?"

Hermione blinked at the ghost floating above the toilet. They had told her, of course, that there were ghosts in the castle, but she had not seen any of them until now.

"Oh, it's you." The ghost said as she looked at Hermione closely. "What do you want?" She asked again. "Are you here to do another potion?"

"Another potion?" Asked Hermione with some confusion.

_They were in one of the stalls, a cauldron sat on top of one of the toilets, a fire crackling merrily below it._

"_Are you sure this is going to work?" Ron asked by her side looking at the potion bubbling inside the cauldron with trepidation._

"_Of course, we just wait for it to be ready and we can drink it." Hermione said as she stirred the potion._

"_Ugh, I hope it tastes better than it looks." Said Harry making a face at the potion._

"_What does it matter what it tastes like as long as it works?" Hermione asked testily and continued stirring the potion.(2)_

"Of course, after what happened the last time, you might not want to do it again." The ghost giggled with mirth.

Hermione smiled.

_Something had gone horribly wrong. She knew it the moment the transformation had begun._

_There was a sharp knock on her stall door. "C'mon, we need to go – "_

_Her voice sounded high-pitched when she answered. "I – I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."_

_She could hear the confusion in the boys' voice. "Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you – "_

"_No – really – I don't think I'll come. You two hurry up, you're wasting time – "_

_There was a pause, the boys were talking to each other but she could not make out what they were saying._

"_Hermione, are you okay?" She heard one of the boys ask, she couldn't tell which._

"_Fine – I'm fine – go on – "_

"_We'll meet you back here, all right?" He said._

_She heard them leave. She waited a few minutes to make sure they were truly gone and left her stall. She walked over to the mirror and saw herself. Her face was covered in black fur, her eyes had turned yellow, and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair._

"_Oh, my God!" She exclaimed at her image. "It was cat hair!" She screamed._

_She heard Myrtle laugh behind her. "Look at your tail." The ghost cackled._

_Hermione covered her eyes with her hand, only to find them covered in hair and turned into paws. With a small scream she turned back to the stall and started to cry.(3)_

Hermione blinked at the memory. It seemed so real, as if it had happened only recently.

"Any potion-making students lately, Myrtle?" She asked.

"No." The ghost seemed sad. "Nobody comes around for a visit anymore."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said.

The ghost shrugged. "I prefer to visit the prefect bathroom anyways."

Hermione laughed.

* * *

Ron sat gingerly on his seat. Several minutes had passed since Ginny's return and Hermione hadn't returned.

Harry sat on the couch reading the Daily Prophet, while Ginny was busy writing a letter to her mother.

The portrait hole opened once more.

"Where were you?" Exclaimed Ron the instant he saw Hermione step through the hole.

"I was taking a walk." Said Hermione looking surprised.

"You should've said something." Ron replied. "One of us could've gone with you."

"I needed to be on my own." Retorted Hermione. "I'm not likely to get utterly lost in this place that I would never find my way back, and even if I did, I'm sure I would've met somebody who would've led me back." She said crossing her arms. "You always overreact, Ronald."

The others looked at her with surprise. They had not seen this side of Hermione since before the attack and to see it once more brought a surge of hope to them all.

"I'm sorry." Said Ron, after a minute of silence.

"Hmph! Very well." Hermione nodded and took a seat on one of the remaining seats.

"Ron?" She called presently.

"Yeah?" Asked Ron, who had remained at his seat watching Hermione closely trying to figure out what had happened during the walk that had awoken her assertive nature.

"Why did we make a potion in Myrtle's bathroom?" She asked with a frown. During her trip back to the common room, she tried to remember more of the memory she had glimpsed during her talk with the morose ghost. She could remember spending time in the empty bathroom making the potion. Sometimes the boys were there with her, other times she had been alone, and then there were the times when Myrtle just floated above her as she readied the potion. But, she could not remember what the potion was for, or why they needed to do it in secrecy.

"You remember that?" Asked Harry with surprise.

Hermione nodded. She smiled when she noticed the others grin happily at her.

"Those are great news." Said Ginny, joining Hermione in the couch, and hugging her tightly for a moment.

Hermione took the hug quietly. She enjoyed having close friends like this. People who knew her better than she did herself, and who took those small steps toward recovery with her and were as happy about the results as she was herself.

"So, why did we do that potion?" She asked once more as Ginny sat back on her seat to listen.

"Was that during first year?" Ginny asked. She usually didn't like to remember the events of her first year, and if it hadn't been for Harry, Ron and Hermione, things would have been a lot worse.

"Your first year, our second." Nodded Harry, who was clearly remembering what had happened during that year.

Ron had remained silent, also remember what had happened through the course of their second year at Hogwarts.

"It was a Polyjuice Potion, it allows you to change into another person." Harry finally replied to Hermione's question. "We had to do it in Myrtle's bathroom because it was the only place we knew where we could do it in secret. We would've been expelled if anybody knew we were brewing it."

"If it was against the rules, why were we doing such a thing?" Asked Hermione sounding a little scandalized at the thought of breaking school rules that would cause her expulsion.

"People were getting hurt." Ron said. "There was a monster in the castle that was hurting Muggleborns."

Hermione gasped in horror. "But why?"

"There have always been wizards that throughout our history have tried to keep Muggleborns out from our world. Some have been worse than others. Some years ago there was one who did almost everything in his power to get rid of Muggleborns. He was the cause of the events of that year. There is a hidden chamber in this castle that had been a source of legends since the time of the founders." Harry related. "It's called the Chamber of Secrets, it had been said that the Chamber was the home of a monster that could only be controlled by a specific person. The Chamber was opened during our second year and the monster unleashed. We brewed the potion in order to go undercover and find some information."

"Did – did everything came out alright?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide at the thought of what they had fought against.

"Eventually." Ron said. "Things had to get worse before they got better. But at the end, Harry killed the monster, those hurt were fixed by Madam Pomfrey, and everything returned to normal." Ron smiled. "Or at least, as normal as it could be for us."

Hermione listened in silence. First a troll, she thought, and then a monster? Did they ever have a peaceful moment in this school, she asked herself. She wished she remembered more to be able to answer that question.

* * *

A/N: Now for some footnotes

(1) This scene came from Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, only his speech was copied word for word.

(2) & (3) These scenes are inspired by the events in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but came from my own imagination.

Ok, since this is the last chapter I had prepared before my long absence and were written before HP and the DH was published I have come to a crossroads in my story. It's time for me to decide whether to continue on as is, or do I go back and make the revisions I plan on eventually doing for it to be compatible with cannon. I've already started with the revisions of the first chapters and so far they are going smoothly, but I obviously have to take out some characters that according to cannon should no longer appear in the story. This would help in two ways, it will allow me to review the story and make the pertinent changes as well as remind me where I wanted this story to go in the first place, thus, at continuing writing the rest of the story I can write without having to go back and reread certain chapters. Which means that the writing would go a little smoother than it would otherwise. Of course, this means that it would take me a little longer to complete the chapters and uploading them. So what do you think? Review and let me know. But for now:

Enjoy and Happy Reading!


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